GANG FROM HACKNEY, STRATFORD, AND GRAYS SENTENCED FOR BRUTAL ESSEX BURGLARY AND VIOLENCE

In January 2019, a group of violent criminals responsible for a terrifying break-in at a family home in Horndon-on-the-Hill, Essex, were brought to justice and sentenced to lengthy prison terms. The gang, composed of individuals from Hackney, Stratford, and Grays, carried out a series of heinous acts during their raid, which included threatening a four-year-old girl with a knife to her throat and assaulting her seven-year-old brother.

On that fateful night in September 2017, the offenders broke into the residence armed with firearms, knives, and wearing masks and gloves to conceal their identities. The intruders' brutality was evident as they inflicted physical harm on the family members, leaving a trail of destruction and terror. The court heard that the gang's actions extended beyond this incident, as three of the defendants—Ayomide Ijelu, Jeremiah Johnson, and Salih Bulbuller—had previously participated in an aggravated burglary in Tilbury just a week earlier, on September 18.

During that earlier incident, Ijelu, along with Emmanuel Ijelu and Barry Douglas, attempted to break into a bungalow but were interrupted by a man who noticed their suspicious activity from his nearby caravan. Both Ijelu and Douglas received sentences of ten years for their involvement in that attempted break-in.

Back in Essex, during the Horndon-on-the-Hill raid, the gang's violence escalated. The children in the household were assaulted, with the four-year-old girl being threatened with a knife held to her throat. A woman was restrained with duct tape around her arms and across her mouth while she was attacked. Meanwhile, a man in his 30s was subjected to repeated blows to his head with a firearm, as well as being struck on his hands and legs with a hammer. The assault left him with burns on his hands, arms, and shoulders caused by an iron.

The criminals also caused extensive property damage, smashing furniture and windows, and stole cash, jewelry, and electronic devices from the victims. After the assault, they drove the victims to a nearby field and abandoned them there, leaving them stranded. The vehicle used in the crime was later discovered abandoned in the area.

Essex Police’s Detective Inspector Steve Nelson described the gang as “dangerous and organised,” emphasizing their lack of remorse and their attempt to deny responsibility for the violence. The court proceedings resulted in the defendants receiving significant prison sentences: Mark Bonsu, aged 25, from Doran Walk, Stratford, was sentenced to 18 years; Ayomide Ijelu, aged 23, and Wesley Williams, aged 32, both of Lindisfarne Way, Homerton, received 28 and 18 years respectively; and Jeremiah Johnson, aged 27, from Curzon Drive, Grays, was sentenced to 25 years. Salih Bulbuller, aged 22, of Homerton Road, admitted to charges of aggravated burglary, robbery, and firearm possession, and was sentenced to 18 and a half years in prison.

The court's verdict underscores the severity of these crimes and the determination of law enforcement to hold such dangerous individuals accountable for their actions, which inflicted terror and suffering on innocent victims in Essex and beyond.