The man accused of shooting a father and son – killing the dad – will be re-tried for murder after a jury failed to reach a verdict.
Ricardo Dwyer, 27, was alleged to have been a hired assassin working for a Hackney Turks gang boss in the March 2009 “revenge hit” to get back at the Tottenham Turks following a string of showdowns.
This week the court heard how Dwyer’s mobile phone was on call forward during the time of the attack, as was Michael James’ – who has already been convicted for murder for being an accomplice of the gunman.
Edward Brown, prosecuting, told the Old Bailey: “It’s not a coincidence both mobile phones were off together, and off later as the murder took place. They didn’t want to be disturbed.”
He also told the court that both Dwyer and James stopped using their regular phones the day after the attack on March 22 that year in which a converted pistol was fired four times at Ahmet Paytak, 50, and his 21-year-old son, Huseyin, in the Euro Wines and Food shop on Hornsey Road, Holloway.
Mr Paytak was shot in the stomach and died of internal injuries while his son’s thigh bone was fractured that night at about 10.20pm after two accomplices pulled up on a motorbike.
Dwyer, of Malpas Road, Hackney, had been convicted of carrying a 9mm firearm in 2010 while a balaclava with his DNA on was found in a Hackney Turks club. However a jury failed to reach a majority verdict.
The ordered hit was a result of a machine gun attack on the Hackney Turks’ E5 Social Club in Upper Clapton Road, Hackney, the same night at about 6pm.
Mr Brown added: “Revenge was quickly put into plan within hours and a determined revenge.” But the gunman shot the wrong father and son.
The hit was supposed to be on Mehmet Senpalit, who was present when Kemal Armagan – a Hackney Turks boss, of Shakespeare Walk – was beaten up by his rivals earlier in January 2009.
However, Dwyer’s defence claimed he couldn’t have been the attacker because he was with his girlfriend, Yasmina Vega-Buckley, and mother, Barbara Patterson, that night.
He also couldn’t walk properly due to a recent knee operation, but CCTV did not show a gunman with a limp, Anthony Orchard, defending, added. No date has yet been set for a re-trial.
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