Nine individuals have received life sentences for the murder of a man who was fatally stabbed in a case of mistaken identity.
On November 10, 2021, Michael Anton O'Connor was assaulted outside a residence on Wilford Crescent West in The Meadows, Nottingham, around 10:20 PM GMT.
The 31-year-old was discovered collapsed on the pavement and tragically passed away in the hospital.
The culprits behind his untimely demise were sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court.
According to Nottinghamshire Police, Mr. O'Connor, also known as Anton, fell victim to a premeditated ambush orchestrated by hired hitmen.
The murder stemmed from a dispute between rival drug gangs, although Mr. O'Connor was not the intended target.
He was stabbed while acting as an intermediary to broker a deal between the warring factions.
Following a trial, all nine defendants were found guilty of his murder on June 12 and have subsequently received their sentences.
Here are the minimum years of imprisonment handed down to each perpetrator:
- Michael McGuire, 35, from Bridgeway Centre, Nottingham: 32 years
- Paula Usherwood, 39, from Central Avenue, New Basford, Nottingham: 30 years
- Jerome Sheard, 31, from Wilford Crescent West, Nottingham: 31 years
- Michael Mingoes, 21, from Powell Street, Manchester: 28 years
- Carla McGuire, 53, from Wilford Crescent West, Nottingham: 20 years
- Joshua Agboola, 30, from Leven Grove, Darwen, Blackburn: 31 years
- Joseph Boscombe, 41, from Rostherne Avenue, Manchester: 32 years
- Leonard Ward, 42, from Marwood Road, Carlton, Nottingham: 32 years
- Benjamin Taylor, 38, from Annesley Court, Monton Road, Eccles, Manchester: 32 years
Authorities disclosed that Ward was the leader of the gang based in The Meadows, which had ordered the killing.
Carla and Michael McGuire, who are mother and son, were associated with the group and resided near the location of Mr. O'Connor's murder.
Carla was accused of disabling the CCTV at her property just before the attack.
Sheard, Carla's son, served as Ward's right-hand man.
Taylor was identified as the individual who dispatched a team of dealers from
Manchester to carry out the murder.
Boscombe, Agboola, and Mingoes were also part of the team, with Mingoes suspected of delivering the fatal blow.
Usherwood's role involved setting up the ambush by meeting the intended target on the morning of the crime.
Police characterized the investigation as "extremely complex," resulting in the arrest of 23 individuals.
They meticulously reviewed 786 hours of footage captured by 212 CCTV cameras.
Detective Chief Inspector Rob Routledge, the lead investigator from Nottinghamshire Police, stated, "Anton was asked to mediate between two feuding groups, and tragically, it cost him his life.
He was attacked by multiple masked assailants armed with dangerous weapons. Considering Anton was unarmed, his murder was an act of extreme cowardice."
Source - BBC News
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