McDonald's queue row shooting in Brixton: Two guilty of murder

  • Published
Horace Campbell and Liam Douglas-O'Callaghan
Image caption,
Douglas-O'Callaghan (right) brought Campbell the gun

Two men have been found guilty of murder after shooting dead a stranger following a row in a McDonald's queue.

Horace Campbell, 28, and Liam Douglas-O'Callaghan, 18, murdered Devon Scarlett, 32, in Brixton, south London, in April 2011.

The victim and Campbell began to argue and, when escorted outside, agreed to meet nearby for a "shoot out".

Campbell, of Anerley, and Douglas-O'Callaghan, of Herne Hill, are due to be sentenced on Monday.

Bobbie Cheema, prosecuting at the Old Bailey, said once they had been removed from the restaurant Campbell had called Douglas-O'Callaghan to bring his "thing" or gun.

Mr Scarlett appeared to make a similar call but no actual call was made.

Miss Cheema said: "Horace Campbell was determined to avenge the perceived lack of respect that Devon Scarlett showed him.

"Devon Scarlett acted with foolish bravado, behaving like a tough guy, but whatever he said and did, he was not armed."

Image caption,
Devon Scarlett was shot twice

Campbell, who had been drinking, followed Mr Scarlett into Marcus Garvey Way and fired three shots - two of them hitting the victim.

Campbell said: "You are not so hot now," before walking away.

Mr Scarlett, a father-of-four, from Croydon, south London, who was born Raymond Mitchell, died a few hours later in hospital.

The court heard that Mr Scarlett had become involved in "someone else's argument" in McDonald's.

When people tried to intervene, Campbell told them Mr Scarlett had been "too disrespectful and was going to be shot in the head" and would be "filled up with lead".

A woman had heard them agreeing to meet in the nearby street "effectively for a shoot-out", the court heard.

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