Ashley Bucknor and Nathan Miller guilty in killing Ryan Bravo, London

Today (23 December 2010), two men have been found guilty at the Old Bailey for their part in a fatal shooting of a teenager in August 2008.

Ashley Bucknor, aged 21, unemployed of no fixed address was found guilty of the murder of Ryan Bravo. He has been sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 24 years.

Nathan Miller, aged 19, of Bramah Green, Myatts Field Estate, Brixton, was found guilty of possession of ammunition and possession of ammunition to endanger life. He is due to be sentenced at a date to be fixed in 2011. The jury could not reach a decision on charges of possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Raymond Miller, aged 22, was acquitted on all counts on 22 December 2010. He had been charged with possession of a firearm; possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life; possession of ammunition; possession of ammunition to endanger life.

Ryan Bravo was fatally shot in the doorway of a shop in Camberwell Road in August 2008. Ryan, aged 18, was an innocent victim, as five suspects rode by on mopeds, wielding at least two guns and firing bullets, towards the shop.

The court heard that Ryan, 18, was with two of his brothers and a cousin in Camberwell Road at around 21.30hrs. They had spent the afternoon at a family address in Peckham and were making their way back home to Lambeth.

They decided to go into the Costcutter’s store for milk and as they went into the shop two young men pushed past them. A few seconds later, shots rang out. Everyone ran for cover and when the shooting ended Ryan could be seen lying on the ground in the shop doorway.

He had been shot in the back and was pronounced dead at the scene. Up to five suspects drove away on three mopeds in the direction of Boyson Road.

A few minutes later, officers from the Territorial Support Group who were on patrol in Kennington, saw five men, including Bucknor, running in Gosling Way carrying two motorcycle helmets. They found this suspicious and called to Bucknor to stop but he ran off and discarded the helmets.

They officers caught up with him and found he was wearing purple latex gloves. He was also carrying a bag which contained a handgun wrapped in a sock with an empty case jammed in its breech.

The firearm was later found to have been used during the murder although it did not fire the shot that killed Ryan Bravo. An investigation was set up by the Met’s Operation Trident. Four days after the murder officers went to the Miller brothers address in Brixton and found the murder weapon and ammunition. Both Nathan and Raymond were arrested and later charged.

Detective Chief Inspector Gordon Allison of Trident said: "Today’s verdict is a great result as officers have worked relentlessly to bring the right people to trial for this murder. I believe that Bucknor and Nathan Miller are a danger to the public. They went out that night armed with a firearm intent on targeting two young men as part of retaliation for an incident earlier in the day in Lambeth.

"Ryan was from a close-knit family that had been enjoying an evening together. He was no gang member. He was expected to start a university course soon and was generally known as a good lad. It was an absolute tragedy that he died at the hands of these criminals."