The trial of seven men accused of the murder of 24-year-old Kai McGinley in Erith on February 9 last year continues today at the Old Bailey. The prosecution alleges that Kai was shot dead in a planned and targeted execution, likely related to drug activities. The accused individuals face charges not only for murder but also for the attempted murder of two of Kai’s friends.

11:24 am – ‘My friend’s been shot’

During today’s proceedings, the jury heard an account from a resident who waited two minutes before going outside to see a man, identified as Mr Burton, shouting, “Can someone call the police, my friend’s been shot?”

11:18 am – ‘Girl woken by gunshots’

A teenage girl residing on the road reported being awakened by four or five loud pops. When she looked out of her window, she saw Kai stumbling towards the pavement with an injury. Her mother, downstairs, heard Mr. Burton shout, “They had guns,” and promptly called 999.

11:13 am – ‘Residents saw hyped-up men in balaclavas’

Residents on Pembroke Road witnessed a commotion involving two vehicles. A woman reported hearing two or three quick bangs and seeing a Land Rover stopped in the road with a smashed windscreen. She saw four or five young boys wearing balaclavas and dressed in black, who appeared hyped up. At least two of them were holding “long, black, cylindrical-shaped items in their hands, which were quite large.” Following this, four “popping” sounds were heard, and the men fled up the middle of the road.

11:05 am – Five shots heard on CCTV

Although the collision was captured on CCTV, the shooting itself was not. However, audio from the shooting was recorded by a nearby camera on Sandcliff Road, clearly capturing five ‘pops’ over 20 seconds at 8:46 pm.

10:54 am – ‘I’m going to fk you up’**

Norman Samura, who was in the back seat of the Mini with Kai, recounted seeing six to eight men in balaclavas surrounding their car. He heard someone shout, “I’m going to f**k you up,” followed by a gunshot. Mr Samura described how he had to dive through a broken window to escape, and Kai was fatally shot during the attack.

10:47 am – ‘Land Rover smashed into the side of the Mini’

The collision occurred on Pembroke Road, a narrow residential street with street parking on both sides. The Mini carrying Kai and his friends was rammed off the road by a Land Rover, which resulted in the Mini being spun around and partly on the pavement.

10:41 am – ‘Land Rover and Peugeot circling the area’

Prosecutor Brian O’Neill provided the jury with details of events leading up to the fatal shooting. He explained that the defendants, travelling in a Land Rover and Peugeot, were driving around the Pembroke Road area. The two vehicles were in contact with each other via burner phones, with the Peugeot’s burner phone connected to Derek Hards, a customer of Kai McGinley and his friends. This contact allowed them to intercept Kai’s car, ultimately leading to the targeted execution.

The trial will continue to unfold, with more details expected to emerge as the proceedings progress.