Saturday, 22 October 2022 – Drill rapper, Jahtel Williamson has been convicted of murdering a filmmaker in a gang-related ‘ambush’, a court has heard.
The New York-born rapper, who appeared on Tim Westwood’s YouTube channel, was part of a gang of killers who set upon young music producer Dean Pascal-Modeste armed with knives and machetes.
Pascal-Modeste, 21, was ‘hunted down’ and stabbed 14 times in Lambscroft Avenue, Mottingham, southeast London, on the afternoon of 24 February 2017, in an attack witnessed by horrified parents on the school run.
The victim died at the scene from his injuries including wounds to his left lung and head.
Williamson, who went by the name Tizzy, fled to the US after the murder and was extradited back to the UK from Washington DC on 1 May last year.
He denied the crime but was convicted of murder by an Old Bailey jury.
The killing was motivated by a long-standing rivalry between two gangs, Lewisham’s ‘B-Side’ gang and Grove Park’s ‘Splash Gang’.
Mr. Pascal-Modeste was not involved in either but was ‘murdered because of the company he had kept’, according to the prosecution.
Both gangs had previously featured in rap recording sessions with Westwood and were locked in a ‘poisonous’ YouTube rap feud, exchanging barbs in their online videos on his channel TimWestwoodTV.
Crispin Aylett KC had told jurors Mr. Pascal-Modeste, from Barking, east London, was not a gang member and had simply been ‘looking to make a name for himself in the music business’.
On the day of his murder, he had gone with two friends to record a music video to post on YouTube.
He was waiting with one of them on a wall when two mopeds pulled up and one of the riders pointed a gun, jurors were told.
Williamson’s was the third in a series of trials which have already resulted in the convictions of four young men for the killing.
Judge Philip Katz KC remanded Williamson in custody ahead of sentence next Tuesday and warned the killer he faces the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.
Corey Donaldson and Alex Scott, both 23, of Lewisham, southeast London, were both jailed for life with a minimum of 18 years for the murder following a trial in November 2017.
Kai Stewart, 22, of Bellingham, and Devone Pusey, 25, of Beckenham, were earlier jailed for at least 17 and 20 years respectively after they were also convicted of murder.
Prosecutor Crispin Aylett KC said at the start of Williamson’s trial: ‘The time has come for him too to face the music.’
He told jurors: ‘On 24 February 2017, five-and-a-half years ago, 21-year-old Dean Pascal-Modeste travelled from his home in Barking, east London, to Grove Park in Southeast London.
‘Dean had been looking to make a name for himself in the music business.
‘He and two friends of his had gone to take part in a recording of a music video that was to be placed on the internet on YouTube.
‘Suddenly from nowhere, two mopeds appeared. The mopeds pulled up not far from where Dean and his friend was sitting. One pulled a gun and pointed it at Dean.
‘Six young youths appeared on foot and chased them. That group also seemed to come from nowhere. Those on the mopeds were acting in concert. This was an ambush on two fronts.
‘The prosecution allege that the defendant, Jahtel Williamson, was one of those on foot.
‘Witnesses described seeing that they were running like mad.
‘Dean was hunted down and surrounded. A group of youths crowded around him and attacked him.
‘During this pitiless attack Dean sustained 14 separate stab wounds.
‘Two blows were struck with such force to split Dean’s ribs and penetrate his left lung.
‘Once they had finished with Dean, they ran off. By this time, the mopeds had already sped away.
‘Dean was left lying on the ground bleeding to death. An ambulance was called and a doctor arrived at the scene. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
‘This attack occurred in broad daylight at around 3.45 in the afternoon.
‘Witnesses had been collecting their children from school. This attack was as outrageous as it was brazen.
‘This was a coordinated attack in which a number of those involved were armed with either guns or knives.
‘This savage attack you may think bears all the hallmarks of gang related violence. However there’s no evidence that his attackers would even have known who he was.
‘This murder has its roots in a poisonous feud. Dean was stabbed to death not for who he was, or anything he had said or done, but murdered because of the company he had kept.’
Four knives were recovered from the area and linked to the killing, the court heard.
Both Splash and B-Side gang members made music videos on YouTube that resulted in an ongoing feud.
‘One such video featured the well-known disc-jockey, Tim Westwood,’ said Mr. Aylett.
‘From the film, it can be seen that the musicians – who are wearing masks and scarves across their faces – were rather less keen on being identifiable than Mr. Westwood himself.’
Mr Westwood’s spokesman has previously said: ‘TimWestwoodTV gives up-and-coming artists a platform to be heard by a wider audience. The YouTube channel provides a non-profit outlet for young artists to express their talent and help provide them with an opportunity to get into the music industry.’
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