Gang found guilty following gun and grenade attack on court witness’ home

A gang was found guilty in connection with a plot to intimidate a court witness by throwing a hand grenade and firing bullets at his home.

Walid Habib, 37, of Sevenoaks Close, Harold Hill, Jahzeiah Francois, 24, of Cranbrook Road, Ilford, Kirtharan Thuraisingam, 33, of Perth Road, Gants Hill and Anna Ibrahim, 32, of Somerford Street, Bethnal Green, were found guilty on Friday at Woolwich Crown Court after shots were fired at a property in Ongar.

Claudio Mohamed 45, of Kingston Road, Ilford, had pleaded guilty to the charges at an earlier hearing.

The verdicts come after shots from a handgun were fired through the witness’ front door in April last year before a hand grenade exploded near the front of his house three days later.

No one was injured as a result.

The shooting took place shortly before the victim was due to give evidence in court.

Habib carried out a reconnaissance of the witness’ home with Ibrahim and Francois, the court heard.

Francois fired the shots at the house while Thuraisingam acted as his driver.

When the shots failed to deter the witness from attending court, Habib called for a hand grenade attack.

Thuraisingam drove other members of the gang to carry out the grenade attack.

All five will be sentenced on Friday, July 31.