Man jailed for life over London shooting of 9-year-old girl from Kerala

London: A Jamaica-born man who orchestrated a gangland shooting at a Turkish cafe in Hackney that left a nine-year-old Keralite girl with life-changing injuries has been sentenced to life in prison.

According to media reports, the Old Bailey on Friday sentenced 33-year-old Javon Riley to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 34 years before parole eligibility.

He was convicted of the attempted murder of three men and of grievous bodily harm to a child who was struck in the head by a stray bullet.

The victim, Lissel Maria, is the daughter of Ajeesh and Vinaya from Gothuruth in Kerala’s Ernakulam district. The family moved to Birmingham three years ago.

On May 29, 2024, Lissel was having ice cream with her family outside the Evin Café in Dalston, East London, when she was hit by the first of six bullets fired from a passing stolen motorbike. The attack was part of a violent turf war between the Tottenham Turks and the Hackney Turks gangs.

Three men—Mustafa Kiziltan (35), Kenan Aydogdu (45), and Nasser Ali (44)—were the intended targets. All sustained gunshot wounds but survived.

Lissel underwent emergency surgery but continues to suffer long-term effects. A bullet remains lodged in her brain, and she now lives with a titanium plate in her skull. Her mother described her as once “an energetic, adventurous child” who is now weakened on her left side and unable to live a normal childhood.

“In a single moment, the future we had imagined for our daughter was gone,” her mother said. “As parents, we are shattered—emotionally, physically, and financially.”

Although Riley did not fire the gun, prosecutors said he played a key role in planning the attack. He scoped the area for several days, drove past the restaurant multiple times on the night of the shooting, and later helped the gunman escape while disposing of the firearm.

The shooter himself remains at large.

Detective Chief Inspector Joanna Yorke, who led the investigation, welcomed the sentence but acknowledged the family’s ordeal: “While this outcome is a reminder that justice can be served, it will never undo the suffering caused to her or her family. The man who pulled the trigger is still at large, and we are determined to find him.”

Police have renewed their appeal for information and urged witnesses to come forward.