Gang who held knife to throat of girl, four, during violent burglary will be sentenced today

A ruthless gang who held a knife to a four-year-old girl’s throat as they assaulted her and her seven-year-old brother during a violent burglary will be sentenced today.

The gang, from Hackney, Stratford and Grays wore masks and gloves and carried firearms and knives during the break-in at an address in Horndon-on-the-Hill, Essex, in September 2017.

On Monday Mark Bonsu, 25, of Doran Walk, Stratford, Ayomide Ijelu, 23, and Wesley Williams, 32, both of Lindisfarne Way, Homerton, and Jeremiah Johnson, 27, of Curzon Drive, Grays, were all convicted of robbery and possession of a firearm with intent at Basildon Crown Court.

Salih Bulbuller, 22, of Homerton Road, admitted aggravated burglary, robbery and possession of a firearm.

Three of them - Ijelu, Johnson and Bulbuller - were part of a gang of five who had assaulted a man in his 70s during an aggravated burglary a week earlier on September 18.

Along with Emmanuel Ijelu, 27, Lindisfarne Way, Homerton, and Barry Douglas, 26, of Homerton Road, they tried to break into a bungalow in Tilbury, but were disturbed by a man who spotted them from the window of his caravan nearby.

All seven men will be sentenced today.

Calling them “dangerous and organised”, Essex Police’s Det Insp Steve Nelson said: “The six defendants tried to convince the jury they weren’t responsible for these attacks and have shown no remorse at any stage.”