‘Smirking’ double murderers handed life sentences for video-shoot machete ambush

“Smirking” killers who ran amok at a music video shoot, fatally stabbing two young people and severely injuring a third, have been handed two life sentences.

Leonardo Reid, 15, and Klevi Shekaj, 23, were killed and 28-year-old Abdullah Abdullahi was badly hurt when a group of men armed with large machetes ambushed the event in Archway, north London, on the night of June 29 2023.

Lorik Lupqi, 22, and Jason Furtado, 28, had planned the attack and enlisted Abel Chunda, 29; Xavier Poponne, 22; and Eden Clark, 31, to help carry it out.

On Friday, they were handed two life sentences for the murders and 25 years in jail for attempted murder, having been found guilty after a long-running Old Bailey trial.

Judge Anjua Dhir KC told Lupqi he would spend at least 39 years in prison for the “planned, brutal, murderous group attack”.

Furtado and Poponne received minimum terms of 37 years and Chunda and and Clark were given minimum terms of 38 years.

Lupqi was the instigator of the violence, and had lashed out in the dock and was verbally abusive towards Judge Dhir.

Judge Dhir told the defendants: “With the exception of Xavier Poponne, your behaviour during this trial has been appalling with constant outbursts in court, fights in the dock, disruptive behaviour in the cells in this building and difficult behaviour coming to and leaving this court.”

She said Lupqi had been “by far the worst”, adding they had shown “a complete lack of respect for the court process and the families of your victims”.

“However, I am sentencing you for offences and not for your conduct in court,” the judge said.

As Lupqi was being sent down in handcuffs, he swore and told Judge Dhir: “Suck your mum…When I come out I’m going to kill you.”

All but Poponne had previous convictions for a combined total of 201 offences, including for drugs and possession of weapons. Chunda alone had convictions of 97 offences.

Earlier, the murder victims’ mothers had criticised the defendants for their lack of remorse, “smirking” during their trial and treating it like a “game”.

Leonardo’s mother, Valentina Locci, said: “My past, present and future has been crushed and taken, not only from me but my family, his siblings and all of our loved ones and friends, and for what?

“An adrenaline rush, an ego boost, a full sense of worth, a selfish gratification with no rewards, at cost to others. What I lost, what we have lost, cannot be found nor replaced.”

Mr Shekaj’s mother, Valbona Shekaj, said in her statement: “Instead of showing remorse or asking for forgiveness, they smirked at us from the defendant’s box.

“They played with our pain, and treated this entire trial as a game, as if the life they took and the devastation they caused meant nothing.”

The trial had heard how the violence erupted after a large group had gathered on the Elthorne Estate to record a music video for an artist called Tight Road Baby.

Lupqi had heard that members of a rival gang might be there and called on the attack with Furtado who enlisted Chunda, Clark and Poponne.

Lupqi booked a taxi to pick up the three men from the area of Furtado’s home address in Canonbury, north London.

They had donned masks and were armed with machetes as they travelled to the Elthorne Estate where they met Lupqi.

Leonardo and his brother had been watching the music video being filmed with friends.

They scattered after one of their number spotted a black-clad figure wearing a balaclava crouching down and moving towards them with a large knife.

Leonardo’s brother looped back later and saw someone lying motionless on the ground. It was only then that he realised it was his brother.

Leonardo had been stabbed in the chest, the wound cutting through his left lung and one of the major blood vessels in his body, causing fatal blood loss.

Mr Shekaj had been stabbed in the back, with the wound cutting through his left lung and deep into his body. He died on arrival at hospital.

Mr Abdullahi was chased and struck with a machete twice to the right side of his body, to the head and right knee.

Judge Dhir said he was “terrified” when he came to court to give evidence in the trial.

After the attack, the taxi took Chunda, Poponne, Clark and Lupqi away from the scene to Chunda’s home address in Highgate Hill.

Jurors were told of lyrics recovered from Islington resident Poppone’s phones in which he glorified the killings and bragged he “got me a trio”.

Furtado and Lupqi were wearing electronic tags at the time of the attack.

Lupqi, from Archway, cut off his tag and fled to Kosovo, but was extradited back to the UK.

On Friday, Poponne was handed additional concurrent sentences for dealing in class A drugs and carrying knives which he admitted.