Mother saw gunman open fire as son shot near her home, court told

A mother witnessed a gunman open fire and moments later found her son lying on the ground shot in the head, a court has heard.

Jesse Lloyd-Smith, 20, was fatally injured near the Damilola Taylor centre in Peckham, south-east London on 10 July 2024.

The victim’s mother Ty Lloyd-Smith was in her flat only yards away when she heard the noise of shots at around 16:50 BST, the Old Bailey heard.

Kywan JN Pierre, 18, from Selhurst, south London and the alleged gunman, Gabriel Charles, 19, from Southwark, south London both deny murder.

The alleged killers had driven slowly towards the alleyway in a silver-coloured Ford S-Max car, jurors heard.

“The S-Max passed the Damilola Taylor centre, turned the corner and stopped,” Prosecutor James Dawes KC said.

“One of the two men exited the S-Max. He was holding a gun, and he ran towards Jesse firing the gun as he went. There were at least five shots.

“Some of the shots hit Jesse knocking him to the ground. The gunman ran back to the car which drove away.”

Mr Dawes said Mrs Lloyd-Smith saw the shooter but could not see her son because he was in the alleyway.

“She feared the worst and she shouted out Jesse’s name,” Mr Dawes said.

Ms Lloyd-Smith ran downstairs to find her son injured, jurors heard.

The prosecution alleges the occupants of the S-Max car were Mr JN Pierre and Mr Charles.

Mr Dawes said a key issue for jurors would be whether the pair were in the car, as each had denied they were there.

The court heard that they both fled the country after the shooting.

Following the gunshots, Mr Lloyd-Smith’s friend Jamie Burgess was frantically trying to help him and an ambulance was called.

Mr Burgess allegedly told police a person called “S” was involved.

The victim was taken to hospital for emergency surgery but he died the next day.

A search of the scene with dogs led to the recovery of four spent cartridges and two unfired bullets all from a 9mm automatic pistol, the court was told.

The shooting was partly captured on CCTV footage although it was from some distance away, Mr Dawes said.

Mr Charles and Mr JN Pierre are also charged with conspiring to pervert the course of justice with Ben Nguyen, 20, of no fixed address, Enver Francis, 22, from Southwark, Abdoul Guene, 18, from Peckham, Kadjo Kadio, 20, from Dartford, and a 17-year-old youth, who cannot be identified due to their age.

It is alleged the group had plotted to take away the Ford S-Max used in the fatal shooting and destroy it in a fire two days later.

Mr Kadio and Mr Nguyen are accused of assisting an offender by making and receiving transfers of funds “with intent to impede the apprehension or prosecution” of Mr Charles.

Mr Kadio is charged with a similar offence relating to Mr JN Pierre.

The defendants have denied all the charges against them.

The trial continues.