Four gang members who stabbed NHS worker David Gomoh sentenced to life for murder
The attack, that happened in east London last April, was described as “senseless”
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Four gang members who stabbed NHS worker David Gomoh have received life sentences for murder.
Gomoh was repeatedly stabbed in the street whilst on the phone to his girlfriend before staggering home and bleeding to death in front of his family.
The 24-year-old, from Canning Town, was a marketing graduate who worked in procurement for the NHS.
David Ture, 19, Vagnei Colubali, 23 Muhammad Jalloh, 19, and Alex Melaku, whose turned 18 a day before sentencing, were all found guilty of Gomoh’s murder.
Colubali and Jalloh were given minimum terms of 27 years, Ture a minimum of 26 years, and Melaku 21 years.
All four defendants were also sentenced to concurrent terms for conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent to an unidentified man who escaped.
Judge Mark Lucraft QC said the killers had carried out a "brutal murder" which had involved a "significant degree" of planning.
He said: "The four of you are part of a north-side Newham gang, who have a feud with gangs on the south-side of the borough.
"I have no doubt there are many who live in all parts of the borough impacted by the acts of those like the four of you, who seem to kill simply for the sake of it and show little or no regard for human life."
Describing Mr Gomoh as a “lone, innocent and entirely unsuspecting victim”, he said he had unfortunately been in the “wrong place at the wrong time”.
In a victim impact statement, Gomoh’s mother Marian said she is "haunted" by recurring nightmares about what happened, adding: "I felt numb, paralysed by grief and pain. Why David?"
She said the "psychological and emotional torture escalated" during the trial, as she listened to details of what happened to her "beautiful son".
She added that he had "so much to live for; so much unfulfilled promise and so much needed by the NHS trust he worked for to help distribute PPE and other stocks, so much humanity and compassion to share".
Marian said her son’s murderers had "walked uninvited into our lives and destroyed David‘s life", adding: "their contempt for a human life is just beyond comprehension”.
Gomoh’s sister Lizzie paid tribute to her "fun-loving, amazing brother" and said his death has had a "devastating impact on us all".
The family was already grieving at the time of his death having recently lost their father.
In a statement released after the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Laurence Smith, who led the investigation for the Met Police, said: "These four defendants carried out a senseless attack on a completely innocent man and there is absolutely no doubt that London is a safer place with them behind bars."