Jail for ‘horrendous’ five who groomed youngsters
GANG MEMBERS PUSHED VULNERABLE YOUNG MEN INTO DEALING DRUGS FOR THEM
A GROUP of “utterly horrendous” West London gang members assaulted, threatened and groomed boys into a life of drug dealing.
Four men and a woman have been convicted of a series of offences in which two boys were “held against their will” and coerced by an organised crime group between April 22 and December 5 last year.
Lennon Gomes, 22, Mustafa Mohamud, 27, Ann-Marie Garland, 19, Syed Shah, 22, and Naveed Mahmood, 28, were all convicted after a trial at Reading Crown Court on Friday (September 10).
The court heard how the two victims, both vulnerable young men, were dealing class A drugs for a gang based in West London, which had been branching out into the Home Counties using county lines.
They had been coerced into doing so and, on occasions, were held against their will and subjected to threats of violence.
On April 22, both victims suffered actual bodily harm-level injuries after being assaulted.
On December 5, the victims were subjected to threats of violence, but were otherwise unhurt, according to a police statement.
Following an investigation,
Shah was charged on December 23, Mahmood on January 22, Gomes on February 12, Mohamud on April 9 and Garland on April 12.
Gomes, of Shaftesbury Avenue, Feltham, was convicted by unanimous jury verdict of three counts of false imprisonment, two counts of blackmail and two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely heroin and cocaine. He had earlier pleaded guilty to a single count of possession of cannabis.
Mohamud, of Cottage Road, Islington, was found guilty of one count of money laundering. Shah, of Priory Green, Islington, was found guilty of two counts of false imprisonment and two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely heroin and cocaine. Mahmood, of Basildene Road, Hounslow, was found guilty of one count of false imprisonment and one count of blackmail against one victim.
Garland, of Aylsham Close, Reading, was convicted of one count of encouraging the commission of offences. All five will be sentenced at the same court on October 29.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Rob Gibson said after the hearing: “This string of offences against two young victims, who were effectively groomed into a life of crime, were utterly horrendous.
“Both victims were vulnerable young men, and were coerced into drug dealing by an organised crime group intent on bringing their drugs into the Thames
Valley. After a trial, all five offenders were convicted by unanimous jury verdict of various offences, and they will now be sentenced accordingly.
“We are committed to removing the serious issue of drug dealing from our communities, making the Thames Valley a hostile place for county lines dealers.”
He added: “They often target the most vulnerable people in our society, and all five will now be sentenced accordingly.”
Both vitctims were vulnerable young men and were coerced into drug dealing. Detective Constable Rob Gibson