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| Ex-boxer murdered in smoking row | |
| (20 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. | 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, who was 6ft 9ins tall, was then jostled by three men. | |
| We do not hate this young man found guilty today Statement from Mr Oyebola's family | We do not hate this young man found guilty today Statement from Mr Oyebola's family |
| "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. |
| 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. | 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. | He died in hospital without regaining consciousness. |
| Judge Peter Rook warned Mulenga that he faced life imprisonment. | |
| He had been jailed for 30 months in September 2005 for possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply, the court heard. | |
| Mulenga 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. | 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." | "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." | 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. |
| A fourth man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will face a separate trial. |