A drill rapper who shot a rival outside a baby’s first birthday party in Walthamstow and “glorified” his murder in a rap video has been jailed for at least 37 years.
Kacey Boothe, 25, had been attending the family event for his friend Khalid Samanter’s child when he was killed standing at his car at Peterhouse Community Centre in north-east London.
Days after Mr Boothe’s death, gunman Kammar Henry-Richards bragged about the killing in a rap video called Kay-O Laughing Stock.
The lyrics read: “Big Boothe and Little got hit, same sig, that’s a sour family.
“Both got slapped at functions, neck and head, handguns come handy.”
In another version, the lyrics read: “Big Boothe shoulda lurked, got his neck back ripped. Lil’ got burst, shoulda bin with his.”
Marcia Rowe, Mr Boothe’s mother, said in an impact statement that there is “no limit to the endless suffering we all feel and must live with every day”.
open image in galleryKammar Henry-Richards posted a video with rap lyrics boasting about Kacey Boothe’s murder (Met Police)
In the statement, read by the prosecution at a sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey on Monday, she said: “This unexplained callous murder has taken away Kacey’s dreams and aspirations, at the age of just 25 when he had his whole life ahead of him.
Shanice Thomas-Brown, Mr Boothe’s partner, said in an impact statement that their children have been “forced to develop an understanding of life, death, danger and violence”.
“Losing Kacey is the worst thing that’s ever happened to us and although he is not with us, his name will forever live on in our family,” she went on.
“Our kids enjoy visiting him at the cemetery, looking at videos and pictures and cuddling their teddy that has a recording of his voice inside.”
The court heard his death was part of a “well-planned and orchestrated attack” involving six men, with Mr Samanter being the intended target.
It took place against a background of violent incidents arising from rivalry between the London Fields gang, with whom Mr Boothe and Mr Samanter associated, and their rivals the E9’ers, which included killer Kammar Henry-Richards, 25, and three others.
Jurors heard that the gun used in Mr Boothe’s murder was used on seven occasions between 2020 and the day he was killed, including an attack on his older brother who survived being shot in August 2020.
Less than two weeks before his murder, Mr Samanter’s “entirely innocent” neighbour Amdirahman Jeylaani was shot in his car in a case of mistaken identity, and was lucky to have survived, the court heard.
Prosecutor Anthony Orchard KC said the gang members conspired to kill Mr Samanter or otherwise shoot another London Fields associate, and took steps to hid traces as to who was involved, which included using stolen vehicles.
Judge Lynn Tayton KC said: “This was a planned revenge attack arising out of gang rivalry in the context of an ongoing pattern of serious tit-for-tat violence.
“It is sad that a young man with such bright prospects should have become in such offending.”
open image in galleryThe gang rivals were found guilty at the Old Bailey, London (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA) (PA Archive)
She noted that drill music played a “limited” part in the evidence in the case which also included CCTV and cell site data.
The jury deliberated for a week to convict Henry-Richards, Kamani Brightly-Donaldson, 24, Jeffrey Gyimah, 21, and Joao Pateco-Te, 27 of murder.
They were found guilty of conspiracy to murder Mr Samanter and conspiracy to possess a firearm or firearms with intent to endanger life.
Brightly-Donaldson was also convicted of having a prohibited firearm.
Ka’mani Brightly-Donaldson was jailed for life with a minimum term of 38 years; Gyimah was handed a minimum term of 35 years; and Pateco-Te was told he would spend at least 37 years behind bars.
E9 gang associate Roody Thomas, 27, of Birmingham, who admitted having a prohibited firearm, was jailed for five years.