Life term for boy who shot mum dead through door

A teenager has been given a minimum jail term of 29 years for murdering a woman he shot in the head through her front door.

Lianne Gordon, 42, had only just returned from a holiday in Jamaica with her two children when she was killed inside her home in Hackney, east London, on 5 December 2023.

Joshua Alexander, 17, was given a life sentence at the Old Bailey earlier.

The court previously heard Ms Gordon had been the unintended victim of a feud between rival gangs and that she had been trying to protect her children from gang violence.

Judge David Aubrey KC lifted a reporting restriction on naming Alexander, who turns 18 in February.

The teen denied being the gunman but was found guilty of Ms Gordon's murder in October following a trial at the same court.

A jury also found him guilty of attempting to kill a 17-year-old boy and 21-year-old man who were shot in the street during the same attack.

Alexander was additionally convicted of affray, having a firearm with intent to endanger life, possession of a bladed article, and possession of class A drugs with intent to supply.

Sentencing the teenager, Judge Aubrey told him: "You murdered an innocent woman who was behind her front door in her own home.

"Her home should have been a sanctuary, a place of safety."

The judge said Alexander was "on a mission that night to execute members of your opposing gang" and had "devastated" Ms Gordon's family, causing them "unimaginable grief".

He continued by saying the defendant's lack of remorse was illustrated by rap lyrics found in his prison cell in January that were "glorifying" his crimes.

In a victim impact statement, Ms Gordon's twin sister, Louise, described her as "a force of nature" and said "everything has been destroyed, shattered and broken" since her death.

She told the court: "I feel like I have lost my other half.

"She had nothing but love for me, as she did for everyone who was lucky enough to be in her circle."

Ms Gordon's sister added: "I feel like I'm underwater most days trying to stay afloat. My mind is still in constant turmoil."

She said her twin was "shot like a gangster" in her own home, adding: "This gun crime has ripped a hole in my family and there is nothing we can do about it."

Family members in court cheered as the sentence was passed down by the judge, while another person in the public gallery shouted "rot in hell".

During the trial, prosecutor Mark Fenhalls KC told the jury Alexander was associated with the Pembury Gang from Hackney, which was in dispute with the Amhurst Road gang.

The court heard Alexander had a series of convictions dating back to when he was 15 years old.

At the time of the shooting, Alexander had been on bail, with conditions not to enter Hackney, for attempted murder relating to a separate incident last March.

Det Ch Insp Joanna Yorke, who led the Met Police investigation, said: “Alexander is a dangerous individual, who at just 16 years old had no qualms about carrying and using a deadly weapon.

"We are pleased he has been brought to justice and that he will now spend a significant period behind bars."