London, July 16: Three men and two women members of a gang have been found guilty of the “honeytrap” murder of an Indian-origin man in the east of England.
Vishal Gohel, 44, was discovered unresponsive inside a flat in Bushey, Hertfordshire, in January and pronounced dead at the scene.
A post-mortem examination showed he had suffered severe blows to his head.
According to court reports in the UK media, a jury at St. Albans Crown Court on Friday was told that Gohel had been led to believe he would be having a sexual liaison but the gang had intentions to rob his home — hence a honeytrap was laid by the gang.
Officers from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire (BCH) Major Crime Unit launched a murder investigation and made six arrests in the case.
“Our thoughts are with Vishal’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time. Specialist officers are supporting his family and I would ask for their privacy to be respected,” said Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins, who led the investigation earlier this year.
Gohel was found with tape on his face at his flat after a neighbour noticed his front door was ajar and the kitchen light was on. It emerged that Gohel had been in contact with the suspects through Craig’s List, a website offering goods and services.
Tevin Leslie, 23, was convicted of murder and had already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob.
Sakeen Gordon, 22, was convicted of murder and conspiracy to rob; Yarley Georgia Bruce-Annan, 22, was convicted of murder after earlier admitting a charge of conspiracy to rob; Brandon Browne, 22, was found not guilty of murder, but convicted of manslaughter and conspiracy to rob; and Faith Hoppie, 22, was found not guilty of murder, but convicted of manslaughter and conspiracy to rob.
All five will be sentenced at St. Albans Crown Court on September 26.
A sixth suspect, Tiana Edwards Hancock, 20, was cleared of murder, manslaughter and conspiracy to rob. (PTI)
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