In a significant breakthrough for law enforcement, four individuals have been sentenced to prison after detectives meticulously traced their movements through a comprehensive investigation involving CCTV footage, phone data, and vehicle GPS. The case revolved around a shooting incident at a bustling restaurant in Ealing.
The convicted individuals include Lee Morgan, 42, of Waterside Court, Leybourne; Nicholas Grant, 46, of no fixed abode; Elton Charles, 50, of Liddell Gardens, Kensal Rise; and Nathanial St Aimie, 49, of MacMillan Way, Tooting. They were found guilty of conspiracy to possess a firearm with the intent to cause fear of violence following a rigorous five-week trial held at Kingston Crown Court in July and August 2023.
In a hearing held on Friday, September 15, each of the three men – Lee Morgan, Nicholas Grant, and Elton Charles – was sentenced to five years in prison. Nathanial St Aimie, who had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess a firearm with the intent to cause fear of violence on the second day of the trial, received a six-year and three-month prison sentence on the same day.
The incident in question occurred at approximately 21:30 on September 6, 2022, when a gunshot was fired through the window of a restaurant filled with patrons on Greenford Road in Ealing. Fortunately, no one was injured during the incident.
Following the shooting, officers from Specialist Crime initiated an immediate investigation, which included the collection of extensive CCTV footage from the surrounding area. The investigation led to the identification of Nicolas Grant as the individual seen firing the shot. He had disembarked from a white van; however, its number plate was initially not visible.
The investigative team expanded their CCTV inquiries, eventually managing to uncover the van’s registration plate, linking it to a van rental company. Further inquiries revealed that Nathanial St Aimie had rented the van two months prior to the shooting, with GPS data indicating its return to his home address shortly after the incident.
Subsequent investigations unveiled that St Aimie, using a disposable mobile phone, had conducted reconnaissance of the restaurant the day before the shooting and subsequently arranged for his co-defendants to participate in the shooting.
Evidence retrieved from WhatsApp messages and data on the defendants’ phones substantiated their coordination and presence in the area at the time of the incident. Financial gain emerged as the motive behind the planned shooting.
Detective Constable Meechok Maingarm, who led the investigation, remarked, “This was a shocking attack, and it was only by good fortune that no one inside the premises suffered any injury. It left many of those present extremely shaken up and caused real fear to the restaurant’s owners.”
Maingarm praised the exceptional efforts of the investigative team, highlighting that the collected evidence was sufficient to establish that all four men were in communication prior to the incident and had played their respective roles in the deliberate and premeditated shooting.”
