Watford man among seven jailed for string of firearms offences

Erwin Williams, 55, of Haines Way, appeared at Isleworth Crown Court for sentencing after being found guilty of conspiracy to transfer a prohibited weapon on March 13, 2020.

Six other people - Cristobal Ngomo, Menelik Boland, Mahad Ahmed, Anthony Graham, Arsalaan Talib and Joshua Cowley – were also sentenced for firearms offences at the same court.

All seven men were given a total of 59 years' imprisonment on Friday, May 14, following two separate trials.

From left to right - Menelik Boland, Mahad Ahmed, Joshua Cowley, Erwin Williams, Cristobal Ngomo, Arsalaan Talib, Anthony Graham (photo Met Police)

The court heard how the first of two investigations making up the case was launched in early 2019.

In February of that year, surveillance was carried out at an address on Toovey’s Mill Close, where officers believed firearms were being stored by Williams.

During surveillance of the address, officers witnessed Ngomo arrive, followed shortly by a teenager called Sonny Rai.

Ngomo oversaw the exchange of a firearm between Williams, who was inside the address, and Rai.

Erwin Williams (photo Met Police)

Whilst the exchange was going on, Talib and Cowley were all in the vicinity of Dalcross Road and the Bath Road area of Hounslow.

Rai departed the venue in a taxi and officers kept it under constant surveillance, with armed police stopping the taxi whilst travelling on Bath Road.

Rai was arrested for being in possession of the firearm.

The location in which Rai was stopped was 50 metres away from an alleyway where he had agreed to meet Talib and Cowley to transfer the firearm.

Detailed phone work conducted after Rai's arrest led officers to believe Talib was attempting to obtain the lethal barrelled weapon from Williams.

This was being organised through Ngomo who brokered the deal.

The second part of the investigation was launched on June 21, 2019 after 25-year-old Edward Simpson was fatally shot on Watermill Way in Feltham.

Four days after the murder, officers were carrying out surveillance in the area of Northwood Recreation Ground in Hillingdon.

They witnessed a black 4x4 Mercedes pull up, from which Boland, Ahmed and Graham exited.

They entered the park and made their way to a hedgerow within. Boland entered the undergrowth with Graham.

They were seen using a torch to search the area and left the park shortly after. Officers did not witness them retrieve anything from the location.

Shortly after, officers searched the undergrowth and discovered a black bag containing a loaded firearm.

Immediate inquiries were carried out to locate the vehicle the suspects were seen travelling in.

Armed officers stopped it on London Road and arrested all three men.

Forensic examination of the firearm found in the undergrowth revealed it to be a pump action shotgun.

Forensic experts also confirmed that the recovered shotgun was the same weapon that was used to murder Edward.

The recovered shotgun (photo Met Police)

Further forensic examination and detailed phone analysis also led officers to the conclusion that Ngomo and Borland concealed the shotgun within the undergrowth the day before the meeting on June 24.

• Cristobal Ngomo, 30, of Leamington Place, UB4, was sentenced to 16 years' imprisonment. He was found guilty on 13 March 2020 of conspiracy to transfer a prohibited weapon on or before the 8th of February 2019. He was also convicted of the sale or transfer of a prohibited weapon, contrary to section 5(2A)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968.
• Menelik Boland, 32, of West Ella Road, NW10, was sentenced to seven-and-a- half years' imprisonment. He was found guilty in February 2019 of possession of a prohibited weapon.
• Mahad Ahmed, 30, of no fixed address was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment. He was found guilty in February 2019 of possession of a prohibited weapon.
• Anthony Graham, 31, of Franklin House, Carlton Vale, Brent, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years' imprisonment. He was found guilty in February 2019 of possession of a prohibited weapon.
• Erwin Williams, 55, of Haines Way, Watford, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment. He was found guilty on 13 March 2020 of conspiracy to transfer a prohibited weapon.
• Arsalaan Talib, 24, of no fixed address, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years' imprisonment. He was found guilty on 13 March 2020 of conspiracy to transfer a prohibited weapon.
• Joshua Cowley, 24, of Clare Road, Stanwell, Surrey, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years' imprisonment. He was found guilty on 13 March 2020 of conspiracy to transfer a prohibited weapon on or before the 8th of February 2019.

Detective Chief Inspector Driss Hayoukane, from the Met's Specialist Crime Command, said: "This was a complex investigation conducted by specialist detectives over a number of years. In both trials, the jury convicted Ngomo of serious firearms offences. He was supplying firearms to his criminal associates, and through our investigation we were able to identify that one of the firearms was linked to a murder in London.

"I am proud of DC Louise Fleming and DC Neil Kember who together have bought these offenders to justice.”

DCI Hayoukane, added: "Ngomo was the link to these two separate investigations and was the key to unlocking this network of criminals who were involved in the supply and passing of weapons that have been used in a horrific murder on the streets of London.”

• Sonny Rai, of Nelson Road, TW3, was sentenced on May 31, 2019. He was 18 at the time of his sentencing. He was given two years' imprisonment at a Young Offenders Institute. 

​Sign up for our weekly crime and court newsletter here and keep up to date with the latest crime news on our dedicated Facebook page here.