A teenage gangster who murdered a woman as she tried to protect her children during a turf war between rivals should be “hanged”, the victim’s mother told a court.
Joshua Alexander, 17, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 29 years at the Old Bailey on Monday.
Lianne Gordon, 42, had only just returned from a holiday in Jamaica when she was attacked in her home in Hackney, east London, on Dec 5 2023.
She was the unintended victim of a gang feud between rivals in the neighbourhood, jurors heard.
Alexander had denied being the gunman but was found guilty in October of Ms Gordon’s murder following a trial at the Old Bailey.
A jury found him guilty of attempting to kill a 17-year-old boy and 21-year-old man who were shot in the street during the same incident.
Alexander was also convicted of affray, having a firearm with intent to endanger life, possession of a bladed article, and possession of class A drugs with intent to supply.
On Monday, a judge lifted a reporting restriction on naming Alexander, who turns 18 in February.
Judge David Aubrey KC said the background to the case was “sadly all too familiar”. Delivering his sentencing remarks, he said: “It is one of turf wars, territory, violence between rival gangs and consequential tragedy and grief.”
In a victim impact statement, Ms Gordon’s mother Ella Leatham said that Alexander should be “hanged”.
She said: “Dec 5 2023, will be with me for the rest of my days. I now know how other families who have had a family member killed feel. I am angry and upset at losing Lianne, this is no joke.”
Addressing Alexander in the dock, Judge Aubrey told the killer: “You murdered an innocent woman who was behind her front door in her own home.
“Her home should have been a sanctuary, a place of safety. It was, however, where she met her death at your hands while you were in possession of a firearm.”
The judge said Alexander, who was 16 at the time of the murder, was “on a mission that night to execute members of your opposing gang”.
He told Alexander: “You have shown no remorse whatsoever. Notwithstanding that you have murdered an innocent person in her own home who was not the intended target.”
The judge said this was illustrated by rap lyrics found in his prison cell “glorifying” his crimes.
The trial was told that rap lyrics were recovered from Alexander’s cell in January referring to the shooting saying that Ms Gordon was “wigged”.
Judge Aubrey said Alexander, who was linked to the murder by DNA and phone evidence, had “devastated” Ms Gordon’s family and caused them “unimaginable grief”.
Ms Gordon’s twin sister, Louise, described her as “a force of nature” and said “everything has been destroyed, shattered and broken” since her death.
In a victim impact statement, she told the court: “I feel like I have lost my other half. She had nothing but love for me, as she did for everyone who was lucky enough to be in her circle.”
Ms Gordon’s sister added: “I feel like I’m underwater most days trying to stay afloat. My mind is still in constant turmoil.”
She said her twin was “shot like a gangster” in her own home, adding: “This gun crime has ripped a hole in my family and there is nothing we can do about it.”
Family cheered
Family members in court cheered and said “yes” as the sentence was passed down by the judge, while another person in the public gallery shouted “rot in hell”.
At the time of the shooting, Alexander had been on bail, with conditions not to enter Hackney, for attempted murder relating to a separate incident last March.
On the evening of Dec 5, Ms Gordon’s son Kaymound was in the shower and her daughter came out of her room when she heard what she thought were fireworks.
Ms Gordon died at the scene from a single gunshot wound to the head while the two victims outside were treated in hospital.
Det Ch Insp Joanna Yorke, who led the investigation, said: “Alexander is a dangerous individual, who at just 16 years old had no qualms about carrying and using a deadly weapon.
“We are pleased he has been brought to justice and that he will now spend a significant period behind bars.”
Jurors had heard the shooting was the culmination of a series of incidents.
Prosecutor Mark Fenhalls KC said the incidents resulted from a dispute between two Hackney gangs, including the Pembury Gang with which Alexander was associated.
Alexander had a series of previous convictions dating back to when he was 15 years old, including a conviction for attempted murder after he acted as a lookout when a man was shot and stabbed at Hackney Central station on March 1 2023.
