Seven gang members responsible for a violent rampage in Peckham, likened to the chaos of the video game Grand Theft Auto (GTA), have been sentenced to a combined 102 years in prison.
The group’s actions, driven by revenge, involved stabbings, shootings, and a string of dangerous incidents in broad daylight.
According to the court, the violence was triggered after a friend of the gang was stabbed. The attackers, all from South East London, were convicted at the Central Criminal Court on October 18 of conspiracy to commit Grievous Bodily Harm. Tyreke Smikle faced additional charges, including possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and drug-related offenses.
The rampage began on May 7, when Tyreke Smikle and Timothy Newton visited their injured friend in the hospital. They soon gathered weapons and assembled the rest of the group to retaliate against the people responsible for their friend's stabbing.
The gang, wearing balaclavas, split into three vehicles, including a stolen moped, to carry out their revenge. The court heard that they chased a rival vehicle to the area near Bonita Mews and Dog Kennel Hill Estate, where Smikle fired a shotgun into the driver’s window. Shortly after, the group targeted another vehicle, shooting at a second victim. In a high-speed pursuit, the victim’s car flipped over as it tried to escape. The third victim was shot in the leg by Smikle in a nearby garden at close range.
Witnesses later reported seeing the group with a large machete. Despite the brutal attacks, no one suffered life-threatening injuries.
Detective Constable Luke Martinez, who led the investigation, condemned the gang’s actions, stating: “This group escalated violence with more violence, bringing a firearm and other weapons to London’s streets, endangering lives. One of the shootings occurred just meters away from a mother and her child."
He added that the sentencing removed dangerous individuals from the streets and served as a warning to others threatening public safety. Photo by Bill Henderson, Wikimedia commons.