Chad Gordon: Gunmen jailed for murdering man in mistaken identity case

Chad Gordon, 27, was described as a ‘gentle giant’ by those who knew him

Chad Gordon, 27, was shot dead on his doorstep in Finsbury Park, north London, by two men in a case of mistaken identity (Metropolitan Police)

Two men who shot and killed an autistic “gentle giant” on his doorstep in north London in a case of mistaken identity have been jailed for life.

Chad Gordon, 27, was shot in the head as he opened the door to his home in Finsbury Park on 18 May last year.

The gunmen, Mason Sani-Semedo, 19, from Tottenham and Cameron Robinson, 20, of Dagenham, had intended to target Mr Gordon’s next-door neighbour, the court heard.

The shooting was said to have been in retribution for the death of the killers’ friend Jemal Ebrahim, who had been stabbed five days before.

But the two men went to the wrong address and shot Mr Gordon immediately after he opened the door.

The bullet hit him in the face, causing “catastrophic” injuries, the court heard.

On Tuesday following a trial at the Old Bailey in London, the two were sentenced to life with a minimum of 29 years after previously being found guilty of murder and possession of a gun with intent.

Sentencing him, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb described the victim as an “ordinary, dignified, decent man” who was “entirely innocent”.

The judge said: “The hurt caused by his evil murder is immeasurable.”

On 18 May 2020, Mr Gordon was at his home in Wiltshire Gardens when he went to answer a knock at the door at about 8.20pm.

When he opened the door, he was confronted by Sani-Semedo and Robinson, who had arrived on a stolen moped with their faces obscured by helmets.

Sani-Semedo produced a firearm and shot Mr Gordon in the face.

Mason Sani-Semedo, 19, (pictured) was found guilty alongside Cameron Robinson, 20, of shooting dead Chad Gordon, 27, on his doorstep in Finsbury Park, north London, in a case of mistaken identity. (Metropolitan Police)

The shooting was witnessed by Mr Gordon’s aunt, who was walking home with her six-year-old child.

When she shouted out, the gunman pointed his weapon at her and told her to “shut the f*** up”, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

Police and London Ambulance Service rushed to the scene, but Mr Gordon was sadly pronounced dead less than an hour later.

After the attack, Sani-Semedo and Robinson fled to Lee Valley Marshes where they threw their helmets into the water and set fire to the moped in an effort to cover their tracks, however police managed to recover the items.

Prosecutor Oliver Glasgow QC said Mr Gordon, who had autism, was a shy and quiet “gentle giant” who was the “last person anyone would want to kill”.

He told the court the identity of the intended target “cannot be known with any certainty”, but it had been suggested the defendants were seeking revenge for the death of their friend.

Cameron Robinson, 20, was found guilty alongside Mason Sani-Semedo, 19, of shooting dead Chad Gordon, 27, on his doorstep in Finsbury Park, north London, in a case of mistaken identity. (Metropolitan Police)

Mr Gordon’s mother, Ann Marie Wilson, described her firstborn as “my world, my everything”.

“Our lives have been ruined,” she said in a statement. “He will not be around to enjoy and participate in the merriment, jovial and frivolity of these occasions, all his birthdays and family celebrations.

“The chance to see Chad having a family of his own and a promising future has been taken away from us. The night he answered the door has put our family into disarray and has torn our worlds apart.

“The family home where Chad grew up has been left behind because of the painful memory of this death, which a year on is still difficult to return to.

“You will never know how difficult it is to just get through a day much less the rest of our lives without him, without hearing his laughter, without seeing his smile, without hearing his voice and feeling his big strong cuddles.”

Mr Gordon’s father, Narson Gordon, added: “Anyone who knew or met Chad would instantly recognise ‘a gentle giant’ with humility to match. The hurt and anguish caused by his evil murder is immeasurable.

“The void left is deeply felt by his aunts, sisters, nephews, nieces, cousins and especially by his 95-year-old grandmother who is still inconsolable.

“It is heart-wrenchingly sad that Chad was not allowed to flourish and live beyond the age of 27. I wish this for no parent.”