Teen was shot and killed on south London streets 'because he was going out with gunman's ex', jury told

Victim: Ben Purdy
Paul Cheston16 September 2015
WEST END FINAL

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A teenager was shot in the head after being hunted down with his friends on a Sunday afternoon on the streets of London, the Old Bailey heard.

Ben Purdy, 18, was attacked because he had been going out with the ex-girlfriend of a member of a Bermondsey family, the jury was told.

The alleged killer, Andrew Bayne, also pointed the gun at the face of one of Ben’s friends and told him to open his mouth but then ran off, the court heard.

Ben died in hospital of catastrophic brain injuries last November, “in any view a young life quite needlessly lost,” said Crispin Aylett QC, prosecuting.

He had started going out with Michael Bagnall’s ex-girlfriend last September two months after she had split up with Bagnall.

Even though Michael had a new girlfriend he was still upset that his ex was seeing another man, the prosecutor told the jury.

“He was repeatedly abusive towards her and sent threatening messages over the telephone and Facebook and after this had been going on for some time Ben had obviously had enough,” said Mr Aylett.

“He and two friends, Callum Malone and Jack Walker decided to go and confront Bagnall and have it out with him.

“This was undoubtedly a very stupid thing to do and it cost Ben his life.

Shortly before the fatal incident there was a skirmish between Ben and his friends and Michael Bagnall, Lee-Ann Bagnall and Anthony Bayne near their home in South Bermondsey on the Silwood estate.”

The Bagnalls and Bayne were armed and although Ben did not appear to have carried a weapon his friends had a motorbike chain and a metal pole but the three fled, the court heard.

Said Mr Aylett: “Michael Bagnall decided Ben and his friends needed to be taught a lesson, although perhaps there was also a territory element as the three had come onto the Bagnall and Bayne territory of the Silwood estate.”

Michael Bagnall allegedly recruited his uncle Andrew Bayne, his cousin Reece Bayne and a 17-year-old who cannot be named because of his age.

They set off in Andrew Bayne’s Ford Focus to “scour” the streets for the three with a 9mm self-loading pistol brought by one of the two, the court heard.

“It doesn’t matter who the gun came from, what matters is that these four men in that car all knew about the gun,” said Mr Aylett.

“They were all party to a joint enterprise to hunt down Ben and his friends and that that gun might be used.

“Andrew Bayne fired the gun at Ben’s head and he sustained fatal injuries and he died the following day.

“Other weapons were in the car – Michael Bagnall had a knife or a cosh and Reece Bayne had a truncheon.

“Andrew and Reece Bayne chased Callum and cornered him. Reece Bayne hit him with the truncheon and Andrew Bayne pointed the gun at his face and told him open his mouth.

“The evidence tends to suggest that he was thinking of shooting Callum as well but Reece Bayne realised that Ben had been hit and called out to Andrew Bayne: ‘We need to go, he is dying.’”

Michael Bagnall, 22, Andrew Bayne, 37, Reece Bagnall, 19, and the 17-year-old all deny murder.

Michael Bagnall, Lee-Ann Bagnall, 19, and Anthony Bayne, 33, have all pleaded not guilty to affray. Michael Bagnall, Reece Bayne and the 17-year-old also deny conspiracy to cause actual bodily harm. Andrew Bayne further denies possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. All the defendants are from Lewisham.

The case continues.

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