15-year-old caught with murderer's gun in school bag

After three men were convicted of Eddie Thompson's murder, the detective in charge of the investigation, DCI John Macdonald said: "The day after Eddie Thompson was killed, by pure chance a 15-year-old boy was stopped close to the scene and the gun was found in his school bag."

Does this mean that the murder weapon spent the day in a Hackney school?

The story behind the gun is strange. In his statement DCI Macdonald said: "This gun was also used in some non-fatal shootings prior to the murder in and around the Pembury Estate."

At face value, this sounds like the gun was a community resource, accessible to people of all ages and for all purposes. But was it really for the exclusive use of a particular set of people - a gang?

And could the motives for these other "non-fatal shootings" have been as insignificant as those related to the death of Eddie Thompson? Although his death was a case of mistaken identity there was a target for this "hit". He was sitting in the back seat of the car. But the motives for his attempted murder appear obscure and irrelevant.

From the Evening Standard's court report:

"Kallum Morris, now 18, recruited the two gunmen to carry out the hit over a “festering dispute” he had with another person doing community service at the same school... the basis of the argument between Morris and his intended murder target was unknown: “It appears to have been pretty one-sided with Morris confronting and threatening and the other man wanting nothing of it.”

Was a 'gang' of some kind involved? Does DCI Macdonald's statement mean that this murder weapon spent the day in a Hackney school?


Police statement:

Three men have (Friday 2 July) been convicted for the murder of 29-year-old Edward Thompson in Hackney last year.

[C] Kallum MORRIS (9.6.91 - 19yrs) of no fixed abode; [E] Paul STOBY (18.9.91 - 18 yrs) of no fixed abode; and [F] Kieron LAWRENCE (18.3.91 - 19yrs) of 71 Pretoria Avenue E17 were found guilty at the Central Criminal Court.

All are due to be sentenced on 23 July.

Police were called at approximately 16:00hrs on 6 September 2009 to reports of a shooting in Amhurst Road E8.

Edward Thompson was taken to Homerton Hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

A post-mortem examination gave cause of death as a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Mr Thompson was a front seat passenger with three male friends in a blue Volkswagen Polo which was stationary in traffic outside 70 Amhurst Road, at the junction with Marcon Place.

Stoby and Lawrence walked alongside and approached the open passenger window, firing a shot into the car before running off towards Pembury Junction and the Pembury Estate. Mr Thompson, of Kingsland Road, Hackney, was driven by his friends to hospital where he later died.

On 7 September two men [A - 20 ys; B - 20 ys] were arrested, bailed to return and later NFA'd. The following day Morris was arrested in the Ilford area and later charged with murder.

On 9 September a 15-year-old male [D] was also arrested in connection with the incident. He was later accused of possession of a firearm for which he received a 12 month sentence on 3 November 2009.

Stoby (17 years at the time) and Lawrence were arrested in mid-September and later charged.

DCI John Macdonald said: “This is another example of immature young men trying to enhance their local reputation through the use of a firearm. This gun was also used in some non-fatal shootings prior to the murder in and around the Pembury Estate. The day after Eddie Thompson was killed, by pure chance a 15-year-old boy was stopped close to the scene and the gun was found in his school bag.

“We don’t think Eddie was the intended target, so by their actions the two/three have now devastated the lives of Eddie’s partner of 11 years, his 3 young boys (8, 5, and 14 months), his mum, and all his other family and friends. Eddie was full of life, always with a smile on his face, but of course those responsible couldn’t care less about that.

“At least Eddie’s family have had the satisfaction of seeing today's convictions, and knowing that those responsible have no worthwhile future themselves”.

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