Five people have been convicted of killing a divorcee who was tricked into a “honeytrap” and set up by a woman he apparently met on Craigslist.
The trial heard Vishal Gohel, 44, was referred to as “57” by the gang because he was known to have £57,000 in his bank account.
Georgia Bruce-Annan, 22, was found guilty of murder and conspiracy to rob, along with Tevin Leslie, 23, and his cousin Sakeen Gordon, 22, by a jury at St Albans Crown Court on Wednesday.
Brandon Browne and Faith Hoppie, both 22, were found guilty of manslaughter and convicted of conspiracy to rob Mr. Gohel.
Tianna Edwards-Hancock, 20, was acquitted of all charges.
After the verdicts, in a short hearing The Epoch Times covered by videolink, Judge Richard Foster said he would sentence all five at a later date.
The prosecutor, Charlotte Newell KC, told the jury Mr. Gohel, an IT sales specialist who lived in Bushey, just north of London, met Ms. Bruce-Annan, 22, through the listings website Craigslist and she “set him up.”
‘Sex Party’ Ended in Murder
She then offered to bring over two of her friends for a cocaine-fuelled “sex party” at his flat that night.But Ms. Newell said it was a “honeytrap” and an hour after the three women arrived by taxi from Barking, east London, three men suddenly burst into the flat, tied up Mr. Gohel, demanded money and drugs, and then beat him up and left him for dead.
They got away with only £200 in cash, an iPhone, and an iWatch.
The three women also fled but police tracked down Ms. Bruce-Annan, her friends, and the three men.
‘Cut-Throat Defences’
Ms. Bruce-Annan and Ms. Hoppie did not give evidence but the other four engaged in “cut-throat defences” where they blamed each other and sought to minimise their own role.Ms. Edwards-Hancock gave the most damning testimony. She said Ms. Bruce-Annan had “set up” Mr. Gohel and had guided the men to the flat.
She said she was oblivious to any plan to rob Mr. Gohel, said she had not agreed to have sex with him and was only there for the drugs.
Mr. Leslie admitted manslaughter and conspiracy to rob before the trial began and Ms. Bruce-Annan changed her plea during the trial and also admitted manslaughter and conspiracy to rob.
But the prosecution maintained they were part of a joint enterprise to rob and murder Mr. Gohel.
Neighbour Found ‘Lifeless’ Body
Newell said: “Mr. Gohel was lifeless on the floor of the bedroom. Gaffer tape was round the lower part of his face.”He had suffered “significant” blows to the head, brain damage, and his voicebox had been fractured, which a pathologist said was consistent with him having been strangled.
Giving evidence, Mr. Leslie claimed the plan was never to do any harm to Mr. Gohel but he said he lost consciousness and died while he was being restrained.
The defendants said they checked for a pulse and splashed water on his face after he passed out, but none of them called for an ambulance.
Mr. Leslie, Mr. Browne, Ms. Gordon and Ms. Edwards-Hancock all admitted they were scared he was dead and were frightened of being implicated by the police.
‘Very Funny Guy’
Mr. Jones said Mr. Gohel was a “very funny guy” who was “full of funny stories” and he said his children had been “robbed of their father.”Commenting on the claims made by Mr. Leslie during the trial, Mr. Jones said: “Vishal was by no means a fighter. He was tiny guy for starters. He was street smart so I think he would have given up anything he had willingly.”
Craigslist said at the time the law subjected websites to criminal and civil liability, “when third parties misuse online personals unlawfully.”
Craigslist added: “Any tool or service can be misused. We can’t take such risk without jeopardizing all our other services, so we are regretfully taking craigslist personals offline. Hopefully we can bring them back some day.”
The Epoch Times contacted Craigslist but did not get a response.
