This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/london/7656620.stm
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 1 | Version 2 |
---|---|
Man guilty of ex-boxer's murder | Man guilty of ex-boxer's murder |
(39 minutes later) | |
A man has been found guilty of the murder of a former champion boxer in a row over smoking at a London nightclub. | A man has been found guilty of the murder of a former champion boxer in a row over smoking at a London nightclub. |
Kanyanta Mulenga, 23, from Putney, shot James Oyebola in the neck and leg in July 2007 at Chateau 6, in Fulham in south-west London. | |
A jury at the Old Bailey heard how Mulenga, who had denied murder, fired at Mr Oyebola, 46, after he asked a group of men to stop smoking. | A jury at the Old Bailey heard how Mulenga, who had denied murder, fired at Mr Oyebola, 46, after he asked a group of men to stop smoking. |
Prosecutor Jeremy Donne described the attack as "particularly senseless". | Prosecutor Jeremy Donne described the attack as "particularly senseless". |
Mr Oyebola, a former British heavyweight boxing champion, died four days after the shooting in July 2007, which happened three weeks after the smoking ban began in England. | Mr Oyebola, a former British heavyweight boxing champion, died four days after the shooting in July 2007, which happened three weeks after the smoking ban began in England. |
'Giant against kids' | 'Giant against kids' |
Father-of-three Mr Oyebola asked a group in a "perfectly pleasant way" to extinguish their cigarettes in the club's garden area, which counted as enclosed premises because it had a roof, the court heard. | Father-of-three Mr Oyebola asked a group in a "perfectly pleasant way" to extinguish their cigarettes in the club's garden area, which counted as enclosed premises because it had a roof, the court heard. |
A witness said Mr Oyebola was then jostled by three men. | A witness said Mr Oyebola was then jostled by three men. |
"He thought it looked like a giant against kids," said Mr Donne. | "He thought it looked like a giant against kids," said Mr Donne. |
Mulenga then fired off four shots with a converted replica Baikal automatic pistol. | Mulenga then fired off four shots with a converted replica Baikal automatic pistol. |
There are no winners today. Those central to the case have lost someone or something. Many lives have been changed forever Statement from Mr Oyebola's family | |
Two bullets hit Mr Oyebola - one causing superficial injuries to his right calf and another entering the back of his neck, piercing a major vessel supplying blood to the brain. | |
He died in hospital without regaining consciousness. | |
Judge Peter Rook warned Mulenga that he faced life imprisonment. He was remanded in custody to be sentenced on Thursday. | |
Outside court, police read a statement from Mr Oyebola's family that said: "There are no winners today. Those central to the case have lost someone or something. Many lives have been changed forever." | |
They added: "We do not hate this young man found guilty today; on the contrary we feel sorry for both him and his family." | |
Last month Rene McKoy, 20, of Battersea, and 24-year-old Dean Francis, of Wandsworth, south London, had murder charges against them dropped. | Last month Rene McKoy, 20, of Battersea, and 24-year-old Dean Francis, of Wandsworth, south London, had murder charges against them dropped. |