Man convicted of killing driver through car window amid rap rivalry

A man has been convicted of murdering a driver who was stabbed to death through his car window amid a gang rivalry played out in rap videos.

Zion Chiata, 20, murdered Gavin Garraway, 40, in full view of the public in Clapham, south London, on the afternoon of March 29 last year.

Mr Garraway, who had no gang connections, was followed by Chiata and two others who spotted him driving a VW Golf with his brother, who was associated with a rival gang, the Old Bailey trial heard.

During the chase, the Golf crashed into a traffic light pole and came to rest, making Mr Garraway a “sitting duck”, the trial heard.

CCTV then shows Chiata “unfurling a large knife tucked into his waist and throwing three times at Gavin Garraway through the open window”, prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC previously told jurors.

After less than 10 seconds, the attackers fled, leaving Mr Garraway bleeding from three stab wounds.

Chiata, who appeared via videolink from HMP Belmarsh, was convicted of murder by a jury at the Old Bailey on Monday after less than four hours of deliberations.

He did not initially hear the verdict via live-link and had to have it repeated to him by Judge Anthony Leonard QC.

Another man, Tishaun Panton, 22, from Lambeth, was convicted of Mr Garraway’s manslaughter late last year.

Mr Rees said the “spontaneous outbreak of violence” was rooted in “bitter rivalry between two neighboring Lambeth gangs: the Claptown (‘CT’) gang, based around Clapham High Road, and the ’67’ gang, based around Brixton Hill. “

The court heard that Mr Garraway’s younger brother, 23-year-old Melique Garraway, alias ‘Liquez’, was a well-known 67 group artist.

Chiata, from Lambeth, was associated with rival gang Claptown, otherwise known as CT, and appeared in one of its exercise videos.

The rivalry between the two gangs was partially documented in exercise music posted on YouTube.

In 2014, CT recorded a track titled Dotty On The Ride, which has been viewed over 700,000 times on YouTube.

Jurors were told Dotty is slang for shotgun and the lyrics demonstrate “disrespect” for the 67 gang.

In 2016, 67 made a “popular” video for a track called Wicked And Bad, in which various prominent members were filmed on rival properties pouring booze over street signs as a sign of disrespect.

This video currently has nearly four million views on YouTube.

Chiata and Panton are to be sentenced on dates yet to be determined.

Detective Inspector Jamie Stevenson, who led the investigation, said: “This horrific attack was caught on CCTV and shows the consequences of carrying a knife. I’m glad the jury ignored Chiata’s defense that he simply “lost control” and convicted him of murder.

“I hope today’s result gives some form of closure to Gavin’s family.”