Life sentence for ex-Wanderer Gavin Grant (From Bucks Free Press)

Life sentence for ex-Wanderer Gavin Grant

10:37am Monday 26th July 2010 in

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FORMER Wycombe Wanderers striker Gavin Grant has been jailed for at least 25 years for shooting a man dead in a London street.

The ex-Blue wept as he was led away to the cells at London's Old Bailey today after he was convicted of the murder of 21-year-old Leon Labastide on May 23 2005.

Co-defendant Gareth Downie, who also shot Mr Labastide, was also jailed for a minimum of 25 years – as was Damian Williams, who was charged with conspiracy to murder.

The court heard Mr Labastide was shot outside his mother's house in Mordaunt Road on the Stonebridge Estate in north-west London while he was on the phone to a friend, in revenge for a raid on a flat.

And we can reveal today that Grant has previously stood trial for murder, but was found not guilty (see link, bottom of story).

Stephen Batten QC, prosecuting, told jurors it was decided Mr Labastide was responsible for breaking into the flat of Romaine Whyte, the cousin of Damian Williams and a good friend of Grant's, the previous day.

Mr Whyte's partner Sabrina Edwards, sister Melika and a 16-year-old girl were all in the flat when it was raided.

Terrified, they had all jumped from the first-floor flat to escape, injuring themselves in the process.

The-then 16-year-old, who gave evidence at court under the assumed name Susan Norwich, was taken to Williams' home as she had nowhere else to go.

It was at Williams' house the plot to kill Mr Labastide was hatched, the court heard.

Mr Batten said: “According to Susan Norwich, the motive for killing Leon Labastide the next day was simply revenge, it being the belief he was responsible for the raid.

“There was a strong belief the raiders had taken guns. This is most disrespectful. Action needed to be taken on Romaine [Whyte]'s behalf.

“Her account of this conversation is of Damian Williams, the larger personality, leading the other two young men to a state where everyone was quite convinced Leon Labastide must have been involved, whatever Susan Norwich had to say.

“It was perfectly clear what they were talking about: collecting guns and shooting.”

Gavin Grant.

The court heard a series of “tit-for-tat” attacks had taken place over a period of time after a falling-out between Mr Labastide and the-now 33-year-old Williams.

But it was Grant, who joined the Blues in 2008, and Downie, both 20 at the time of the murder, who shot Mr Labastide.

He was shot “several” times, with one bullet going “through him”, the court heard.

Mr Batten said: “The two major shots that killed him were fired from behind him.”

Addressing the three defendants, trial judge the Recorder of London said: “The facts of his death permit no conclusion but that he was executed by shooting: shot in the back while he was on the phone standing outside his parents' house in a suburban street one Sunday evening.

“It was not a random killing, but a killing decided because, rightly or wrongly, he was perceived to be a target in a tit-for-tat series of incidents.”

The judge said Mr Labastide was killed “for revenge”.

Victim Leon Labastide.

Addressing Williams – who in 2005 was given a five-year prison sentence for possessing a prohibited weapon and unlicensed ammunition – the judge said: “I can find no way to treat you differently from your co-defendants. You were the prime mover that night.

"Although you didn't go leaving that house with the gun and shoot Leon Labastide, you were responsible for his death.”

Williams' explanation for having a gun when he was arrested was he was being shot at, the court heard.

Twice he was targeted – and on another occasion on September 6 2004, Grant was shot at.

All three men were given life imprisonment and must serve a minimum of 25 years before they are eligible for parole.

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