Rapper ‘Loski’, 23, is convicted of possessing a loaded revolver after court heard he was member of south London gang which was involved in violent disputes with others in Brixton
- The 23-year-old artist, whose real name is Jyrelle O’Connor, was arrested in 2019
- Police found a loaded revolver concealed in the car in which he was travelling
- Jury today found him guilty on several charges related to possession of firearms
London-based rapper Loski was today convicted of possessing a loaded revolver in a case involving firearms, violence and gang disputes in south London.
The 23-year-old artist, whose real name is Jyrelle O’Connor, was arrested in April 2019 by officers looking to question him over the death of one of his associates who was fatally stabbed the year before in what was believed to be a revenge attack by a rival gang.
Having stopped and performed a search of an Uber the rapper was travelling in, police found a loaded revolver concealed under the passenger seat in front of where O’Connor had been sitting and detained him.
O’Connor denied charges related to the possession of a prohibited firearm with intent to endanger life, but the jury at Croydon Crown Court today found him guilty on all counts. He will be sentenced on Friday, January 6.
Loski performs on stage at O2 Forum Kentish Town on March 25, 2019 in London, England. The rapper was today convicted of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life
Cops found a 4mm Flobert revolver when they performed a search of an Uber they saw the rapper get into in April 2019
The judge and jury heard that O’Connor was a prominent and high-profile member of a south London gang who were involved in ongoing violent disputes with rivals in Brixton.
O’Connor was initially stopped by officers in relation to the death of his friend Latwaan Griffiths, who was stabbed to death following an attempted shooting.
The rapper’s DNA had been found inside the bag that Latwaan was wearing when he was stabbed.
Officers also found his fingerprint on a reversible latex glove that had gunshot residue on the inside, indicating it had been worn to fire a gun.
Meanwhile, a forensic analysis of the firearm retrieved during the search of the Uber in which O’Connor was travelling in April 2019 revealed that the artist’s DNA was coating part of the weapon used to load the ammunition.
Loski performs on stage at O2 Forum Kentish Town on March 25, 2019 in London, England
O’Connor’s gun is seen pictured in the footwell of a car where it was concealed in a black sock
Detective Constable Andy Snazell from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command said: ‘This has been a trying and challenging case with many twists and turns, but I’m pleased the jury found O’Connor guilty of his crimes and I’d like to thank them for seeing through his lies and excuses.
‘I have no doubt that O’Connor, or his gang associates, would have used this revolver in the future and by finding and destroying it we have taken a lethal weapon off the streets and potentially saved a life.
‘As part of the trial the jury heard how fascinated O’Connor was by guns and gang lifestyle and on his phone he had been running numerous Google searches for firearms and ammunition in the months prior to his arrest.
‘O’Connor was an influential individual and had many followers on social media. No amount of fortune or fame justifies his serious criminal actions and I’m confident this will be reflected in the sentence that will be handed down by the Judge.’
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