A U.K. drill artist who boasted about killing a rival gang member in a music video has been convicted of murder.
25-year-old rapper Kammar Henry-Richards, who uses the stage name Kay-O, and three others were convicted of the murder of Kacey Boothe. A jury at London’s Old Bailey also found them guilty of plotting to kill Khalid Samante, who was their intended target.
Boothe was shot on August 13 last year outside an East London community centre where Samante was hosting a birthday party for his one-year-old child. The 25-year-old was taken to hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
During the trial, the court heard evidence the men were associated with rival gangs, and the shooting took place “against a background of violent incidents.”
Jurors were told the gun used in the murder was fired on seven occasions, including the 2020 non-fatal shooting of Boothe’s older brother, Kyle Boothe.
Kay-O Rapped About The Shooting In A Music Video
Prosecutors claimed Henry-Richards bragged about both shootings in a rap video called “Kay-O – Laughing Stock.”
— Kay-O (@KO_HOMERTON) September 2, 2022
“A boast was being made that the same ‘Sig’ (gun) had been used to shoot both Kacey Boothe and his elder brother Kyle Boothe,” Prosecutor Anthony Orchard KC told jurors in September, per BBC News.
“This fact was known only to those involved in the shootings and not to the police at that time,” he added.
The lyrics read: “Big Boothe and Little got hit, same sig, that’s a sour family/Both got slapped at functions, neck and head, handguns come handy.”
After a week’s deliberation, the jury convicted Henry-Richards, Kamani Brightly-Donaldson, 24, Jeffrey Gyimah, 21, and Joao Pateco-Te, 27 of murder.
The men were also found guilty of conspiracy to murder Samanter and conspiracy to possess a firearm or firearms with intent to endanger life.
A date for sentencing will be set next year.