Shropshire Star

Teenagers found guilty of murdering wine salesman in broad daylight

The defendants were remanded in custody to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Wednesday next week.

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Omar Raza

Two teenagers have been found guilty of luring a Selfridges wine salesman to a residential street where they robbed and stabbed him to death in broad daylight.

Omar Raza, 23, was killed near Turnpike Lane, north London, on February 15 after being called to the scene under the pretence of selling car insurance, the Old Bailey heard.

The victim was attacked by 18-year-olds Akol Garang and George Rodriguez Galean and bled to death in the street.

George Rodriguez Galean
George Rodriguez Galean was found guilty of murder (Metropolitan Police/PA)

The defendants then made off with his Armani watch and iPhone, the court heard.

Garang, from Hornsey, who delivered the fatal stab wound, was found guilty of murder and conspiracy to rob, along with his co-defendant Galean, of Wood Green, north London.

The pair showed no emotion as they were convicted by the Old Bailey jury after less than a day of deliberations.

Akol Garang
Akol Garang delivered the fatal wound (Metropolitan Police/PA)

Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC has told jurors Mr Raza was working in the wine department of Selfridges and as a sideline, earned commissions by arranging car insurance for individuals through an insurance broker he knew.

He first met Garang after he answered his Gumtree advert for the sale of a £180 laptop, which he bought for his fiancee’s daughter.

He went on to arrange car insurance for the defendant who later failed to pay up the full amount owed, leading to a dispute over the debt.

Mr Rees said: “The deceased was lured to that location under the pretence that he was going to be selling car insurance to a female called Stacey. In fact, it was a trap – Stacey didn’t exist.

“The trap had been set by the first defendant, Akol Garang, who had been involved in a dispute with Omar Raza relating to the non-payment of car insurance that Omar Raza had arranged for him.

“In the course of this dispute, Omar Raza had taken a laptop off Akol Garang; this had made Akol Garang angry and, as a consequence, this sham meeting was arranged so he could take his revenge by attacking Omar Raza with a knife and robbing him.”

The barrister said Garang enlisted the help of his friend Galean who “agreed to play his part in the ambush”.

He said: “The prosecution say that the defendants entered into an agreement to rob Omar Raza of any valuable property that he brought to this meeting.

“In addition, we say that Akol Garang intended either to kill or cause serious bodily harm to Omar Raza with a knife, if the opportunity arose.

“George Galean was aware of this and was happy to play his part in the attack, intending to assist and encourage his co-defendant to cause, at least, really serious harm to Mr Raza.”

The defendants were remanded in custody to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Wednesday next week.

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