Man sentenced for gangland shooting that left girl aged nine with bullet lodged in brain

A man has been sentenced to life with a minimum term of 34 years for his role in a gangland shooting that left a nine-year-old girl with a bullet lodged in her brain.

Javon Riley, 33, helped the motorbike-riding gunman escape from the scene after he fired six times at the Evin Restaurant in Dalston, east London, on 29 May last year.

He was found guilty of the attempted murder of the men, Mustafa Kiziltan, 35, Kenan Aydogdu, 45, and Nasser Ali, 44, and causing grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to the girl.

Read more: The Turkish gang war behind the shooting

Prosecutors said the Tottenham Turks gang had ordered the planned assassination of members of the rival Hackney Turks, who were sitting at a table outside the restaurant.

The first bullet missed, hitting the child in the head while she was inside eating ice cream with her family.

It was a "miracle" she survived, police said, adding they were "millimetres" away from launching a murder investigation.

The girl, who cannot be identified, had her skull rebuilt with titanium and spent more than three months in hospital.

She has made a good recovery, but the bullet is still lodged in her brain and she is expected to have physical and cognitive difficulties for the rest of her life.

Footage of the attack caught on the helmet of an off-duty policeman shows the gunman, who was riding a powerful Ducati Monster motorbike, shoot six bullets in two seconds.

The targeted men scrambled to get inside but Ali suffered a wound to his backbone, Aydogdu was shot in the leg and Mustafa Kiziltan was hit in the thigh.

Riley, who is from the Tottenham area, claimed he had been contacted by a "third party" and offered around £40,000 to be involved in a "smash and grab" robbery of 60kg of drugs.

He was found guilty of three charges of attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm with intent to the girl after a trial at the Old Bailey earlier this month.

Judge Mark Lucraft KC said there had been a number of "tit for tat" murders and attempted murders in London involving the gang over the past 10 years.

The gunman is currently at large. But prosecutors said Riley had played a "key role" before, during and after the shooting.

He had carried out reconnaissance of the restaurant before the attack, scouted for potential targets and drove the gunman away in a stolen car, which was later burnt out.

The three victims suffered gunshot wounds to the arm, leg and thigh.

A reward of up to £15,000 had been offered for information leading to the identification, arrest and prosecution of the person who fired the bullets.

Riley was asked who had recruited him for around £40,000 but he refused, saying he feared for his life and his family.

He admitted conducting a reconnaissance, spotting targets and picking up the gunman.

The person who used the gun, Riley admitted, said to him: "Shots have been fired. I need to get out of here."

Jamaican-born Riley had a string of convictions dating back to 2008, the court heard, including possession of cannabis and cocaine, driving offences and having an offensive weapon and blade in his car.

Riley's links to the Tottenham Turks were revealed in police recordings. This included talks about Izzet Eren, who was shot in Moldova on 10 July last year, understood to be a revenge attack.

(c) Sky News 2025: Man sentenced for gangland shooting that left girl aged nine with bullet lodged in brain