Drill rappers jailed over gang row teen murder

Two teenage drill rappers have been jailed for life for shooting dead an 18-year-old man in Enfield, north London, following a gang dispute on social media.

Emmanuel Popoola, 18, shot Keanu Harker in the head and chest after chasing him on the back of a high-powered electric bike ridden by his co-defendant Tayvon Etefia, 18, on 26 June last year.

Popoola and Etefia, both from Enfield, were each sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 28 years at the Old Bailey on Friday. They were previously found guilty of murder and possessing a self-loading pistol with intent to endanger life.

During the hearing, Harker's mother told the court her "vulnerable" son had been killed over "postcodes".

The court previously heard how the killing followed a number of violent incidents that had arisen between rival Enfield gangs.

Harker's murder followed a row on Snapchat in which Harker made comments implying that Popoola did not have the money to buy data for his mobile phone, the Old Bailey was told.

Afterwards, gang members bragged about the murder in drill rap videos, jurors heard.

While sentencing Popoola and Etefia, Judge Anthony Leonard KC told them: "Keanu Harker was affiliated with the 3×3 gang, a rival gang to yours – that is not a reason he should lose his life at such a young age.

"In this case, the decision to murder Keanu Harker was personal to you.

"It was your planned intention to shoot him because of what he said about you, Popoola, on a public forum."

During the trial, the court heard how the defendants rode at speed on an e-bike and had caught up with Harker, who was also riding a bike.

As they rode alongside the victim, Popoola fired three shots at him from a short distance.

Harker immediately fell off his bicycle on to the road and despite being fatally injured, managed to crawl a short distance into the front garden of a house just off the Great Cambridge Road.

Meanwhile, his attackers made their escape, the court was told.

In a victim impact statement, the victim's mother Kristen Harker said her son did not deserve to die, and had "his whole life ahead of him".

As a vulnerable teenager, he was influenced and groomed by older individuals who "should have known better", she said.

"Instead of being protected he was exploited. It takes a truly evil person to take someone else's child away forever.

"My son was killed over postcodes that belong to no-one."

The victim's father, Chris Hope, said: "Keanu mattered. He was loved and he should still be here."

Both Popoola and Etefia attempted to flee to France by train after the killing.

Popoola was arrested in Paris by French police and was later extradited. Etefia was arrested on board the Eurostar two minutes before it was due to depart from London.

Fellow drill rapper Eliezer Mbaki, 25, from Tottenham, was jailed for four years and nine months for perverting the course of justice.

Jurors also convicted Poppola's girlfriend Anais King, 19, from Enfield, and a 17-year-old youth of perverting the course of justice

They will be sentenced at a later date.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk