A ‘ruthless’ South London drill gang will spend longer behind bars after an intervention by the Solicitor General. Bryan Aidoo, 19, and Roqeeb Ladeaga, 23, were referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme after each was jailed for four years and four-and-a-half years respectively. Both men were part of the ‘WoolyO’ gang operating in Woolwich.
Police in London and Essex launched a probe into the crew after a victim was robbed of £4,000 and struck with a handgun. A magazine that fell to the floor was found by officers, and Aidoo was arrested at the scene the next morning while armed with a zombie knife. A search of his mobile phone uncovered material referencing gang violence.
One video showed featuring Ladeaga, where bullets were assigned to named individuals in rival gangs. Messages were also found celebrating the shooting of a rival, discussing how to retrieve the handgun magazine at the robbery, and how to get the victim to withdraw support for the prosecution. Footage also saw the group handling firearms.
After their sentence was deemed too soft, on June 20 Ladeaga’s sentence was increased to five years and Aidoo’s sentence was increased to five years and nine months concurrent for the bladed article charge.
The Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said: “This was a ruthless gang who boasted about their criminal activities online, while using dangerous weapons to terrorise and threaten our communities. I would like to commend the police for their comprehensive investigations and I welcome the Court of Appeal’s decision to increase Roqeeb Ladeaga and Bryan Aidoo sentences.”
Detective Inspector Yoni Adler, Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: “In upholding the law, justice must be served – especially when firearms are involved. We must demand accountability from those who threaten the safety of our communities. This hearing was not to debate the facts of the case. Those have been established in a court of law previously.
“Instead, the appeal court has upheld the view that the original sentence was unduly lenient and therefore, the consequence of the defendants’ actions deserved a more fitting sentence, one that greater reflects the seriousness of the crime.”
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