Two men have been found guilty of murdering 50-year-old Robert Powell in a drive-by shooting outside a house party in Roydon, near Harlow in Essex, in June 2020.

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Nana Oppong, 43, orchestrated the attack, deploying 39-year-old Israar Shah as a spotter to keep an eye on Powell. Both men were convicted of murder by a jury at Woolwich Crown Court and will be sentenced on Friday. They were also found guilty of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

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Oppong, of West Road, Stratford, was additionally convicted of wounding with intent, relating to an injured bystander, and possession of a prohibited weapon.

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The jury heard that Powell suffered 15 bullet wounds, with some caused by the same bullet passing through his body, when he was shot at around 04:45 BST on 13 June 2020 in Water Lane. Police arrived to find Powell being bundled into the backseat of a Ford Mondeo. He had been with his sons when the shooting occurred and died in hospital the following day.

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Prosecutor Justin Rouse KC described Oppong as a "high level" drug dealer who was willing to use violence when necessary. "He was the instigator, protagonist, and principal organiser of this killing," Rouse said. Oppong fled the country after the murder but was later discovered hiding in the back of a lorry entering Morocco.

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While the court could not establish a clear motive for the killing, it was suggested that Oppong had a "grievance" with Powell. The attack was meticulously planned, with a Ford Kuga on cloned number plates emerging from behind a Toyota Prius driven by Shah as Powell left the party. The gunman, who was in the Ford with Oppong, then opened fire.

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"This was no spontaneous act of violence... It must have been a terrifying spectacle to witness," Rouse added.

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Shah, of Kelvedon Hatch near Brentwood, Essex, was later found in Spain and extradited to the UK for trial. During the trial, he claimed he was at the scene "to simply sell drugs and have a good night."

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The jury was informed that other individuals were involved in the shooting, and police are still searching for a third suspect, Temitope Adeyinka, as part of their ongoing investigation.

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