A Drill music gang who bragged about attacking rivals in a postcode gang feud were jailed for nearly 15 years after one of their own almost bled to death.
The gang from Shepherds Bush waged “tit for tat” gun and knife war with another gang from neighbouring Kensington and Chelsea since the summer of 2016.
Both gangs released numerous drill music videos boasting about stabbing or robbing their rivals fuelling the violence.
And in several tit-for-tat incidents gang members were stabbed and shot.
Last September three masked members from Kensington and Chelsea were spotted on a White City estate hunting for rivals to attack.
The Shepherds Bush gang armed with large knives, swords and wooden sticks gathered en mass and gave chase.
But as the trio ran away a 16-year-old was stabbed in the back.
Around two weeks after the stabbing, the Kensington and Chelsea gang uploaded a music video called “Play for the Pagans”.
The lyrics included nicknames for rival gang members, including ‘Jeezy’ for Calvin Johnson, 20, who was jailed for four years.
The lyrics described that if Jeezy had tripped he would have been “dipped” (stabbed).
A second video called “No Hook” uploaded on Saturday, 1 October included the lyric: “Wit 2 shanks up creep up like luga leave man cut now the 12s all hot.”
The words referred to one of the three males seen on CCTV in a subway with two large knives shortly before the 16-year-old was stabbed.
The “12s all hot” referenced the fact there were lots of police in the W12 area.
An investigation was launched which included officers who know about gangs in their patch.
Calvin Johnson’s brother Fernando, 18, who sentenced to three years and four months, even updated his Instagram with a new drill video entitled “Statement” while on remand.
Today eight members of the group including the 16-year-old were sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court for violent disorder and other offences.
A ninth, a 17-year-old, has gone on the run.
Each was also handed a Criminal Behaviour Order lasting up to three years banning them from appearing in any video or audio uploaded to the internet that references gangs, guns and knifes.
The order also bans them meeting with each other in public, wearing balaclavas or masks in public, entering the borough of Kensington and Chelsea between certain hours and attending Notting Hill Carnival.
Detective Constable Steve Renny said: “This has been a long and exhaustive investigation aimed not just at bringing to justice those who engage in violent gang warfare – on this occasion almost costing a young man his life – but also curbing activities which allow them to glamorise and incite violence through Drill music videos.
“We are increasingly applying for and being granted Criminal Behaviour Orders to stop young people posting videos and audio online which promote gang activity and violence.
“The lyrics presented to the court in this case clearly did just that and we know these tit-for-tat videos aimed at goading rival gangs actively lead to violent incidents on our estates.
“We are not trying to prevent young people’s artistic expression but when music is being used to encourage violent attacks we must act, as the public would rightly expect us to do so.”
Police were able to trace the gang after the badly injured youth tried to flee but collapsed and police and paramedics discovered him.
He needed to have blood pumped out of his chest and an emergency blood transfusion.
An investigation uncovered blood and weapons scattered across the White City estate and CCTV identified them.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “During the course of the investigation Trident enlisted the help of borough officers for their expertise on local gangs.
“Together they presented evidence to the courts of a number of drill music videos to demonstrate the tensions between the groups.”
DC Renny added: “We have had a positive reception from many social media platforms about tackling this issue and are working closely with them.
“As with every aspect of policing, we can’t do it alone. If you see a video on social media that causes you concern, then please do report it to us.”
Other gang members jailed were Hamman Abdoulfath, 20, sentenced to 16 months, Dominic Charles, 19, sentence to 28 months, Jason Rodgers, 19, sentenced to 16 months and Malique Campbell-Edwards, 18, also given a 16-month sentence.
The 16-year-old who was stabbed was sentenced to an 18-month youth rehabilitation order while another 16-year-old received an 18-month youth rehabilitation order for violent disorder.
