Case collapses against four men charged over the shooting of BLM activist Sasha Johnson at a 30th birthday party in Peckham
- Mother-of-two was shot in the head at a 30th birthday party on Sunday, May 23
- Johnson, dubbed ‘Black Panther of Oxford’ had been at silent disco in Peckham
- Prince Dixon, 25, Troy Reid, 20, Cameron Deriggs, 19, and Devonte Brown, 19, had all been accused of conspiracy to murder and possession of a firearm
- But on Tuesday the prosecution said case against them would not be proceeding
The case against four men charged over the shooting of Black Lives Matter campaigner Sasha Johnson in the head during a party has collapsed.
The mother-of-two, 28, dubbed the ‘Black Panther of Oxford’, was shot in the head at a 30th birthday celebration in Peckham, south London, just before 3am on Sunday May 23, and was left in a ‘critical’ condition.
Prince Dixon, 25, of Gravesend, Kent, Troy Reid, 20 of Southwark, Cameron Deriggs, 19, of Lewisham, and Devonte Brown, 19, of Southwark, had denied conspiracy to murder.
The men, who appeared by video link from Belmarsh top security prison, had also pleaded not guilty to a charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life.
A trial had been fixed for March 7 but at an Old Bailey hearing on Tuesday the prosecution announced the Crown would not be pursuing the case.
The four men all smiled as they were told their case would be quashed upon review.
Sasha Johnson, 28, dubbed the ‘Black Panther of Oxford’, was shot in the head at a 30th birthday celebration in Peckham, south London, just before 3am on Sunday May 23, and was left in a critical condition
19-year-old Cameron Deriggs (pictured in court sketch, above), Prince Dixon, 25, Troy Reid, 20 and Devonte Brown, 19, had denied conspiracy to murder. The four men smiled as they were told their Old Bailey case was going to be quashed upon review
Ms Johnson remains in a serious but stable condition after she was shot in the head at a silent disco in a back garden in Peckham last summer.
The activist’s mother, Ellet Dalling said the family had been left ‘devastated’ by the attack and her daughter’s children keep ‘asking where their mummy is’.
In a statement, Ms Dalling said: ‘Sasha is passionate about standing up for others, please come forward and stand up for Sasha.’
Ms Johnson, who works in community activism and community support, has been a leading figure in the Black Lives Matter movement in the UK and is a member of the Taking the Initiative Party.
Having initially been described as ‘critical’, her condition is now said to be serious but stable as she continues to receive treatment in hospital.
Police have said previously they do not believe she was the intended victim of the shooting.
The defendants for the hearing before Mr Justice Hilliard QC.
During the hearing before Mr Justice Hilliard, Mr Heywood outlined the circumstantial case against the defendants, saying the decision to drop the case had followed a careful review involving the highest level at the Crown Prosecution Service.
He said he was unable to give full reasons for the decision but had provided details to the court as to why the CPS had no option.
Outlining the case, he said it concerned a “deliberate shooting” at partygoers at the rear of the address in Peckham.
Four males in balaclavas had approached the house and discharged a weapon at guests, with one round striking Ms Johnson in the head at “very close range”.
He said the Crown had alleged the four males were the defendants, who were known to each other.
CCTV analysis, phone cell site and call data showed they planned and conducted surveillance before carrying out the attack with “murderous intent” on one or more partygoers, the court heard.
Mr Heywood said the wider background was a “falling out” and “hostility” between Deriggs and Brown and the two youngest occupants of the house, who were aged 18.
There had been previous incidents and a panic alarm had been installed at the family home just days before, the court heard.
Access to the party was restricted by security at a side gate and one of the attackers was carrying a handgun, probably a Glock loaded with 9mm bullets, the court heard.
Mr Heywood said: “During the confrontation a single shot was discharged from the weapon after a re-load.
“That discharged round struck Sasha Johnson, then aged 27, at very close range.
“Ms Johnson was present as a close friend of the family living there. She was then in a relationship with the oldest son.”
She suffered a penetrating wound to the side of the head and remains in hospital with “catastrophic permanent damage” as a result, Mr Heywood said.
He said the case against the defendants for an alleged conspiracy was based on “circumstantial evidence” and there was no direct evidence identifying any of them.
The core evidence came from contact with each other, phone data and their movements, the court heard.
The prosecutor made clear that there was nothing to suggest Ms Johnson was targeted because of her anti-racism campaigning and involving in the BLM movement.
Each of the defendants had denied being part of the alleged conspiracy or present on the night of the shooting.
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