Three men sentenced for brutal attack on teenager

A Met investigation into a savage attack where a man suffered life-changing injuries after he was shot and stabbed in broad daylight has led to three men being handed lengthy prison sentences.

Caleb Wallace, 18 (05.01.07), of Beam Avenue, Barking and Dagenham, Hayat Umar, 18 (13.03.07) of Stern Close, Barking and Dagenham and Joshua Amoaka, 18 (03.08.2006), of Cornflower Road, Chelmsford were sentenced at the Old Bailey on Thursday, 3 April.

Wallace and Umar, who were both convicted of attempted murder, possession of a firearm with intent and possession of a knife following a trial earlier this year were sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment each.

Amoaka, who was previously found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent and possession of a knife, was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment.

All three were subject to between a third to a half reduction to their sentence due to being aged under 18 at the time the offence was committed.

The court heard that on Thursday, 2 May 2024 the victim, who was 18 at the time of the incident, was cycling along Whalebone Lane South in Dagenham when Wallace, Umar and Amoaka jumped out of a vehicle and chased him.

While attempting to escape from his attackers, the victim briefly collided with a member of the public and fell off his bike. In CCTV footage seen by the jury in court, Umar can be seen firing a sawn-off shotgun into the back of the victim at point-blank range before Wallace stabs him with a machete. Amoaka is also seen in the footage standing nearby, all during the day and in full-view of passers-by.

Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended and treated the victim at the scene before he was taken to hospital. His injuries were life-changing and he required a number of significant surgeries and extensive time spent in hospital recovering.

Detective Inspector Iain Wallace from the Specalist Crime Command, who led the investigation, said: “The brutality displayed by Wallace and Umar, while Amoaka stood menacingly by, all in broad daylight and in full view of passers-by is shocking.

“This has been an incredibly distressing time for the victim and his family. Equally, many of those who witnessed such a vicious attack will still be deeply traumatised and concerned about safety in the community.

“I hope these lengthy sentences will give the victim some small sense of closure, and allow those in the community to feel safer knowing that Wallace, Umar and Amoaka are no longer on the streets.”

A determined manhunt began immediately following the attack, with officers speaking to witnesses at the scene as well as painstakingly combing through hours of CCTV footage to understand what took place and to track the movements of the attackers after they fled the scene.

Umar and Wallace were arrested at an address in Kent on 10 May 2024. During a search of the address, officers found the distinct red trainers that Umar wore during the incident, as well as the multi-coloured trainers Wallace could be seen wearing on CCTV as he attacked the victim. A large black machete matching the one seen on CCTV was also discovered hidden under a bed at the property.

Amoaka was arrested at an address in Birmingham on 17 May 2024, where officers found a quantity of class A drugs as well as a hunting knife.

Wallace and Amoaka’s hats were both discarded at the scene after each came off while they chased the victim. They were sent for forensic testing. DNA found on the hats provided a match to both – further proof they had been at the scene.

Officers also discovered a series of TikTok videos by a gang affiliated with the three men, where those in the videos brazenly claim responsibility for the attack while mocking the victim.

This helped to further establish a watertight case against Wallace, Umar and Amoaka.