Four jailed following east London murder at birthday party
Shea Gordon was stabbed to death in Bow
Four men have been jailed over the murder of 17 year old Shea Gordon in Bow.
An investigation into the September 2022 killing was launched by the Met’s Specialist Crime Command. Detectives established that the four defendants had planned to attack Shea. The investigation used CCTV and extensive phone analysis among many other lines of enquiry to build a compelling case which led to guilty verdicts at the Old Bailey on 2 August 2023.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers, Specialist Crime, said: “Shea’s family have been devastated by his loss, but they have been dignified and supportive throughout the inquiry. My thoughts and thanks go out to them.
“I am pleased that the exhaustive work of my team and the specialist officers and staff who supported the investigation has resulted in the four being jailed and some measure of justice for the family.”
Kavian Vaughans, 18 (06.04.05) of Blaydon Close, N17 was convicted of murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years.
Abdul Yaro, 19 (23.12.04) of Chesnut Road, N17 was convicted of murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years.
Dainnan Witter-Cameron, 18 (15.02.05) of Galahad Road, Enfield, N9 was convicted of manslaughter. He was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment.
Giovanni Addae-Johnson, 18 (09.03.05) of John La Rose Court, N17 was convicted of manslaughter. He was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment.
In a statement, Shea's mother said: "After eight hard weeks of listening to the facts, re-watching evidence and reliving Shea’s last moments, we are delighted the Jury found two guilty of murder and two guilty of manslaughter.
"Shea was the most humble young man with had the utmost respect. He was his dad’s best friend and mine. "
"It has been a long process to reach this point. During the trial, we heard a lot about the good characters of the defendants and towards the end a character assassination of our beloved Shea.
"I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a bit about Shea and what he means to us, so that you can have some understanding of what was brutally taken from us.
"Shea was the most humble young man with had the utmost respect. He was his dad’s best friend and mine. He was the glue to our family; now there is an emptiness. There was never a dull moment, he was smiling, and turning a negative into a positive with his playful personality.
"Shea was the eldest of six, he was the best big brother, he would take them on days out, play with them, cook with them, pick them up when they fell, stick up for them and was always there for them. He was their best friend, their superhero. All of which has been taken from them.
"Shea got A’s in his GCSEs and then went on to study sports science, as he loved football, playing with QPR growing up. He also worked at his dad’s garage on top of reselling fashion garments, as he loved keeping up with latest trend. He loved fashion so much; Shea and his friend started their own clothing brand called 'Uptown Location'.
"Shea worked hard to achieve all that he did and we will never see him accomplish his dreams of becoming an entrepreneur in real estate, as this was his next goal to achieve. He lived up to his potential without imitating someone else’s. With his knowledge and aura, he had so much to offer.
"Shea always noticed people’s weaknesses and he never took advantage of them, instead he uplifted others and passionately encouraged those around him. He never left anyone out, he was friends with everyone, and so many memories from others have solidified the caring, kind, friendly boy our Shea was.
"As a family, we could not be more proud of him and honoured to have been a part of his journey in life. He gave us life; Shea was the sunlight our family needed. He was our biggest inspiration and will forever be our ‘Gogetta’. His legacy will forever live on.
"Shea you are and will always be loved beyond words and missed beyond measure.
"We would like to take this opportunity to thank those involved in bringing Shea’s killers to justice."