TWO men have been found guilty of murder after gunning down a man outside a party in Essex.
Organised criminals Nana Oppong, 43, and Israar Shah, 39, planned and carried out the killing of 50-year-old father-of-three and grandfather-of-two Robert Powell in Roydon in the early hours of June 13, 2020.
Mr Powell, who had left a party at an address in Water Lane at about 4.45am, was shot eight times and later died in hospital.
The conviction comes after a long investigation by Essex Police.
Through its analysis of CCTV and mobile phones, officers were able to link Oppong and Shah to the killing.
Police, together with the National Crime Agency, established Oppong had likely been out to get his victim.
It is believed days before the shooting, the suspects had planned an aborted attack.
Oppong was further implicated in a conspiracy to supply cocaine and transfer criminal profits.
Shah was linked to a Toyota Prius recovered from his home address in the days following the shooting.
This Prius was spotted travelling away from the scene in the moments after the shooting and was seen driving past the party repeatedly in the hour before the murder.
The investigation established Shah, in the Prius, acted as a spotter on the lookout for Mr Powell.
Oppong and Shah fled the county in the days following the killing.
Oppong was located in Morocco in September 2022 and was extradited back to the UK in June 2023.
Shah was located in Spain in December 2022 and extradited to the UK in March 2023.
Both stood trial at Woolwich Crown Court and were charged with murder and possession of a firearm.
The defendants were convicted on all charges today and are set to be sentenced at the same court on Friday.
Det Supt Stephen Jennings led the investigation and said: “This murder was unusual in its level of sophistication, organisation, and brutality.
“Robert’s murder has left his family utterly devastated and they have displayed dignity throughout a years-long investigation and now, a difficult trail.”
Essex Police also said it knows others were "likely involved" in the murder and will continue its work to identify and prosecute them.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel