East Finchley double shooting: Alleged killer ‘had gun case under his bed’, court hears
Annie Besala Ekofo and Bervil Kalikala-Ekofo. - Credit: PA Archive/PA Images
A gun case was found underneath the bed of a man accused of a double shooting in East Finchley in 2016, the Old Bailey heard on Friday.
BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE Undated handout photo issued by the Metropolitan Police of Bervil Kalikaka-Ekofo, who has been named by police as one of the two victims found dead in East Finchley on Thursday. - Credit: PA Archive/PA Images
Obina Ezeoke, 25, is standing trial over the killing of Annie Ekofo and her nephew Bervil, who were shot in their Elmshurst Crescent home on September 15, 2016.
Ezeoke is alleged to have shot psychology student Bervil, 21, having mistaken him for one of Annie Ekofo’s sons, before opening fire on the mother-of-nine, 53, when she awoke.
Talking jurors through footage of officers searching Ezeoke’s bedroom, prosecutor Mr Nicholas Corsellis said: “To the right hand side there’s a bed underneath which you can see what’s highlighted to be a gun case.”
The court was shown body-camera footage – which also featured Ezeoke pleading for his life as he was arrested – taken by police officers involved in the raid on the east London flat he shared with his mother and sister.
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The footage shows Ezeoke following the orders of the firearms squad. As he backs towards them with hands on his head, he can be heard pleading not to be shot.
He told officers: “Don’t shoot me, please, don’t kill me. Black lives matter.”
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After Ezeoke was handcuffed, the video shows his mother collapsing to the ground. A police officer can be heard calling this “theatrics”.
The prosecution says gunshot residue was found on a sweatshirt in a washing machine after Ezeoke was arrested in Jacquard Court, Cambridge Heath.
The firearms officers who raided the flat and found Ezeoke – before the sweatshirt was discovered during a later search – say they did not open the washing machine during their own operation.
Mr Corsellis quoted from a statement given by Pc Lane which said: “At no point during this search was a washing machine touched. There would have been no reason to do this as a washing machine drum would not have been big enough to hide in or behind.”
Det Con James Skeete also gave evidence. He confirmed he arrested Ezeoke, who was taken to Colindale police station wearing only a t-shirt and boxer shorts.
The trial continues.
