Man convicted of murdering driver through car window amid drill rap rivalry

A man has been convicted of murdering a driver who was stabbed to death through his car window amid a gang rivalry played out in drill rap videos.

Zion Chiata, 20, killed Gavin Garraway, 40, in full view of members of the public in Clapham, south London, on the afternoon of March 29 last year.

Mr Garraway, who had no gang links, was pursued by Chiata and two others who had spotted him driving his VW Golf with his brother, who was associated with a rival gang, the Old Bailey trial heard.

During the chase, the Golf crashed into a traffic light post and came to a halt, making Mr Garraway a “sitting duck”, the trial heard.

CCTV then shows Chiata “unsheathing a large knife tucked into his waistband, and lunging three times at Gavin Garraway through the open window”, prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC previously told jurors.

After less than 10 seconds, the attackers ran off, leaving Mr Garraway bleeding from three stab wounds.

Chiata, who attended by videolink from HMP Belmarsh, was convicted of murder by a jury at the Old Bailey on Monday after less than four hours of deliberations.

He did not initially hear the verdict through the live-link, and it had to be repeated to him by judge Anthony Leonard QC.

Another man, Tishaun Panton, 22, from Lambeth, was convicted of the manslaughter of Mr Garraway at the end of last year.

Mr Rees said the “spontaneous outbreak of violence” was rooted in the “bitter rivalry between two neighbouring Lambeth gangs: the Claptown gang (‘CT’), based around Clapham High Road, and the ‘67’ gang, based around Brixton Hill.”

The court heard Mr Garraway’s younger brother, Melique Garraway, 23, aka ‘Liquez, was a well known drill artist with the 67 gang.

Chiata, from Lambeth, was associated with the rival Claptown gang, otherwise known as CT, and has appeared in one of its drill videos.

The rivalry between the two gangs had been partly documented in drill music posted on YouTube.

In 2014, CT recorded a track entitled Dotty On The Ride, which has been viewed more than 700,000 times on YouTube.

Jurors were told that Dotty is slang for shotgun and the lyrics demonstrate “disrespect” for the 67 gang.

In 2016, 67 made a “popular” video for a track called Wicked And Bad, in which various prominent members were filmed on rival estates pouring drink over street signs as a mark of disrespect.

This video currently has nearly four million views on YouTube.

Chiata and Panton are to be sentenced at dates yet to be fixed.

Detective Inspector Jamie Stevenson, who led the investigation, said: “This appalling attack was caught on CCTV and shows the consequences of carrying a knife. I am pleased the jury discounted Chiata’s defence that he simply ‘lost control’ and convicted him of murder.

“I hope today’s outcome gives some form of closure to Gavin’s family.”