'Revenge killing' gunman jailed

Forde and Osborne hid their faces when they shot Wayne Freckleton

A gunman who shot a rival gang member in a north London barber shop as "payback" for two other deaths has been jailed for life for murder.

Wayne Freckleton, 25, was shot in the head and shoulder at Ike in Acton Lane, Harlesden, last April, while he waited for a cousin to get a haircut.

Femi Forde, 25, and Richard Osborne, 27, both from Harlesden, were convicted of the murder at the Old Bailey.

Forde was jailed for a minimum of 30 years. Osborne will be sentenced later.

Both men had denied the murder.

Wayne Freckleton was suspected of having a hand in two deaths in 2002

Two others were cleared of the same charge by the jury while a fifth man was acquitted on the directions of the Recorder of London, Judge Peter Beaumont.

Mr Freckleton was gunned down by Forde and Osborne as he was rumoured to be one of two men responsible for the deaths of Mohamed Korneh and Selorn Gbesemete, both 21, during an anti-gun crime concert at Southall's Tudor Rose nightclub in December 2002.

The court heard that Forde and Osborne covered their faces when they carried out the shooting in the shop which was "called-on" at a short notice, John McGuinness, QC, prosecuting, said.

Marcus Siyum, 19, Harlesden, and Antoine Richards, 18, from Hayes, were both acquitted of murder by the jury. Mr Siyum was cleared on the directions of the judge.

Jamal Smith, 27, from Colchester, Essex, was cleared of assisting offenders.

Following the sentence, Det Insp Kenny McDonald said: "These individuals had a blind disregard for innocent people when Wayne Freckleton was shot in the middle of the afternoon in a busy barbers shop.

"This all seems to have stemmed from gang rivalry and 'respect'."