A gunman is today facing a life sentence for shooting a man who was celebrating his birthday in a wine bar dead.

The Old Bailey heard that Aarron McKoy, 26, was beaten, chased and shot on New Year’s Day as part of a long-running feud between gangs.

Dean Smith, 26, of Stoke Newington, north London, was found guilty of murder and is due to be sentenced next week.

Aftab Jafferjee, QC, prosecuting, told the court Mr McKoy and a friend were drinking at the Clerkenwell House wine bar in central London, when violence broke out.

The club was cleared but the two friends were attacked outside.

After Mr McKoy ran off, he was chased and beaten again by a mob and found himself cornered.

Mr Jafferjee said: “Possibly because he slipped and fell, the small pursuing mob shot him dead. The person holding the gun was Dean Smith.”

Osman Mohammed, 23, Perrie Dennis, 23, Jack Nichols, 21, Ceon Hewitt, 22, and Daniel Oyetoro, 27, were all found not guilty of murder.