A man Kai McGinley was delivering drugs to was on the phone to the 24-year-old's killers moments before the fatal shooting, a jury was told.
Kai McGinley, 24, was shot dead on Pembroke Road in Erith on the evening of February 9 last year.
On Wednesday (January 17), prosecutor Brian O’Neill KC opened the trial of seven men who are accused of murdering Kai and attempting to murder two of his friends.
He described it as “a planned and targeted execution which was almost certainly drugs related”.
Kai was with his friends Bill Burton and Norman Samura in a stolen white Mini Countryman which had false plates, when they were rammed off the road by a Land Rover.
Some or all of the occupants of the Land Rover and another car jumped out and approached the Mini while opening fire, Mr O’Neill said.
“Four or five shots were fired from two shotguns at close range one of which fatally wounded Kai McGinley. They then fled the scene,” he said.
'Six calls before killing'
Mr O’Neill said that Kai and his friends operated a drugs line called Max Line.
He said that a man named Derek Hards, who lived on the road parallel to Pembroke Road, was in contact with Kai and his friends.
Mr O’Neill said that Hards was also in contact with Bradley Reeve, one of the seven people accused of murdering Kai.
In the 30 minutes before Kai’s death, Reeve and Hards exchanged six phone calls.
“One possible interpretation of that pattern of calls is that Mr Hards was awaiting a delivery of drugs from the operators of the Max Line in the Mini,” Mr O’Neill said.
“And that as they approached, Mr Hards was in touch with the occupants of the Peugeot.”
Seven south-east Londoners accused of murder
Seven men are on trial accused jointly of murdering Kai and attempting to murder Mr Burton and Mr Samura.
They are:
- Enriko Spahui, 21, of Elmhurst in Belvdere
- Jalees Selby-Gangera, 18, of Woodfield Close in Erith
- Connor Brooks, 21, of Horsa Road in Erith
- Bradlee Reeve, 34, of Chapman Road in Erith
- Kai Osibodu, 24, of Riverdale Road in Erith
- Charlie Brabon, 19, of Bryon Drive in Erith
- Anthony Wallder, 21, of Eastry Road in Bexley
Mr O’Neill alleged that Reeve, Spahiu and Wallder were in the Peugeot, while Osibodu, Brooks, Selby-Gangera and Brabon were in the Land Rover.
All seven men deny the charges against them.
The trial continues.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article