Violent gang members found guilty of murder
THREE members of a “violent gang” who broke into a flat and repeatedly stabbed a 35-year-old man have been convicted of murder.
Ebrima Cham, 35, was found dead on the kitchen floor of a flat in Grove Road, Hounslow, on December 19, 2019.
Simon Emmons, 40, and Zimele Dube, 33, and a 19-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons were found guilty of murder following an 11-week trial at the Old Bailey on Friday (May 28).
The 19-year-old was acquitted of murdering Barnes musician William Algar, 53, who was found stabbed and dismembered in his own flat in Nowell Road on January 3, 2020.
Jurors had been told that the defendants had been involved in both incidents.
The court heard how Ebrima, who lived at various addresses across the Hounslow area, had built up a reputation for robbing other drug dealers.
It is understood that one of these robberies led him into confrontation with Dube.
After finding out Ebrima was staying at the flat in Grove Road, the three men got in contact with each other by phone and all three set off to the address in a car that was being driven by a friend.
At around 11.15am, Dube, Emmons and the 19-year-old went to the flat door, but no one answered. As a result, they broke the door down and rushed inside.
Ebrima was found dead by emergency services having been stabbed “repeatedly”. The three men had made off from the scene by the time police and paramedics arrived.
A post-mortem examination undertaken two days later found that Ebrima had been stabbed 11 times, including twice to the head, but it was a deep wound to his chest that proved to be fatal.
Detectives investigating the murder located CCTV of the car used by Dube, Emmons and the 19-year-old.
As a result, police were able to track them down and arrest the men, though the actual driver was not found to have been involved in the killing.
Algar, a talented jazz musician, was allegedly killed inside his own flat following a row over the supply of drugs. He was reported missing by his mother after going days without contact.
Officers investigating the disappearance attended his ground floor flat and discovered an open window.
The officers climbed into the living room to find his decomposing head and torso wrapped in bed sheets.
Sniffer dogs would find his arms and legs buried in the Hounslow Heath area days later.
Crispin Aylett QC told the court of how Algar, who had mental health issues and used class A drugs for a number of years, began selling heroin and cocaine, but was stabbed to death following a dispute.
The 19-year-old was acquitted of his murder following the trial.
He, along with Emmons, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice in relation to attempting to dispose of his limbs in the Hounslow Heath area.
Jayano Lucima, 19, Hounslow, and Mark Harding, 45, of The Drive, Isleworth, were also convicted of perverting the course of justice.
All five men will appear at the Old Bailey for sentencing on July 23.
Speaking after the sentencing Detective Chief Inspector Vicky Tunstall praised the bravery of witnesses assisting the investigation.
She said: “I would personally like to thank all those witnesses who gave evidence about the murders and subsequent confessions.
“They knew how violent this gang were and the defendant’s readiness to use the most extreme violence. Despite this, these witnesses still had the courage to come forward and tell the court what had happened.
“Some of the witnesses were drug takers, but they attended court and gave evidence. Justice often depends on the bravery of such people and I applaud their actions.”