Life sentence for man who played part in doorstep slaying in East End

A man from Fulham has been sentenced to life imprisonment, along with two others, following the conclusion of a trial into a doorstep shooting that took place four years ago.

Aaron Campbell, 32, of Star Road, Fulham, will serve a minimum of 31 years.

Iron Miah, 40, was attacked on November 19, 2019, in Nelson Street, Whitechapel, and died in hospital two days later from a catastrophic brain injury.

Cops discovered burner phones with key evidence of communication between the killers.

The team also identified a source who attempted to insert himself into the investigation and provide false intelligence, and who later turned out to be one of the men responsible for Iron’s murder.

Detective Chief Inspector David Whellams said: “This was a well-planned, deliberate and callous act of violence in a residential area.

“Nobody deserves to be the victim of such brutality and the three people jailed today will have many years to reflect on that. Our streets are safer now they are behind bars.

“I would like to pay tribute to Iron’s family, who have been extremely supportive of the investigation in the face of a long road to justice.”

The three were convicted of the murder of Mr Miah at the Old Bailey on January 9, four years after he was shot on his doorstep.

On Wednesday, Campbell was sentenced to life behind bars, along with Mohammed Moshaer Ali, 31, of Western Avenue, who was given a minimum of 36 years, after also perverting the course of justice, and Antonio Afflick-McLeod, 32, of Mayfair Avenue.

He received a minimum tariff of 34 years. He was also sentenced for drugs offences, as well as possession of a firearm and possession of pepper spray.

Murder squad detectives were able to track the communications that linked the defendants to the killing, despite the group’s extensive and deliberate use of disposable ‘burner phones’ to communicate with each other.

In the days leading up to his murder, Iron’s family described how he had been receiving a series of messages on his phone that were making him anxious.

On the night of his murder he had returned home at about 10pm and received a call from Mohammed Ali. After the call, he went out and got into a Honda Civic in Nelson Street and spoke to the occupants.

Upon leaving the Honda he then sent a message on his phone saying “Viewing done” to Mohammed Ali.

As he was walking back to his house after visiting a local shop, a man got out of the passenger door of a parked Volkswagen Polo and approached Iron from behind.

The gunman fired a single shot and the bullet struck Iron in the head.

The gunman returned to the car and drove off, followed by the Honda Civic that Mr Miah had previously visited.

The VW Polo was on false number plates and has never been recovered. The police told the court that Antonio Afflick-McLeod and Aaron Campbell were believed to be the men in the Polo.

The gun used was also never recovered, but when Afflick-McLeod was arrested a considerable amount of drugs and a sawn-off-shotgun were found at his home address.

Picture: The Met