Pair found guilty of drive-by shooting which left one dead and another injured
Otas Sarkus, 20, died in hospital two days after being caught in a hail of bullets.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
Two men have been found guilty of carrying out a drive-by shooting in which their victim was fatally shot twice in the right eye.
Otas Sarkus, 20, died in hospital two days after being caught in a hail of bullets in north-east London on the evening of last August 18.
Four or five rounds were fired and a second man, also 20, was hit in the back but survived, the Old Bailey heard.
Dean Adams, 32, of East Ham, and Deon Brisport, 30, from Hackney, had denied murder and manslaughter.
An Old Bailey jury deliberated for more than 17 hours to find them guilty of the charges by a majority of 10 to two.
Judge Mark Dennis KC remanded the defendants into custody to be sentenced on December 22.
Two rounds of ammunition were fired into the right eye of a young man called Otas Sarkus. An additional round was fired into the back of a young man called Bristan Williams
During the trial, prosecutor Sasha Wass KC had said a group of young men were gathered in Raymong Road near Upton Park Station at about 10.30pm when “without any warning” a white Volvo swerved towards them at speed as if trying to “ram” them.
The car hit a couple of parked cars and carried on as the young men began to run away, she said.
As the Volvo moved beside them, a window was wound down and four or five shots fired.
Ms Wass had said: “Two rounds of ammunition were fired into the right eye of a young man called Otas Sarkus.
“An additional round was fired into the back of a young man called Bristan Williams.”
Mr Williams felt something hit his back and ran off, jurors heard.
It was only after he got on a bus that he realised he was bleeding and must have been shot.
Firstly, the car drove towards a group at speed intending to ram them. Secondly, having failed to injure their target or targets, someone from inside the Volvo pointed and discharged a loaded firearm at the group
Ms Wass told jurors anyone in the Volvo must have intended to seriously hurt one or more in the group.
She said: “Firstly, the car drove towards a group at speed intending to ram them. Secondly, having failed to injure their target or targets, someone from inside the Volvo pointed and discharged a loaded firearm at the group.”
No-one from the victims’ group saw the gunman or the driver of the car, which had blacked out rear windows, the court heard.
After the shooting, the Volvo, which had been stolen and had cloned number plates, was parked in a quiet cul-de-sac half a mile away and burnt out.
Adams lived in the street where the car had been parked earlier and he was seen getting in and out of the vehicle, jurors heard.
The prosecution alleged Adams was the driver of the Volvo if Brisport was in the back.
Adams’ DNA was found on a piece of clothing in the Volvo, while Brisport’s DNA was on a passenger door handle.
The defendants had declined to give evidence but claimed they were not involved in the shooting.
Detective Inspector Louise Caveen, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “This was a brazen attack carried out on a residential street in the heart of east London that cost one young man his life and left another seriously wounded.
“My thoughts are with Otas’ family who have suffered the most terrible loss. I pay tribute to their strength through these proceedings and I hope they can take some comfort from the verdicts.”