Quickly exit this site by pressing the Escape key Leave this site
We use some essential cookies to make our website work. We’d like to set additional cookies so we can remember your preferences and understand how you use our site.
You can manage your preferences and cookie settings at any time by clicking on “Customise Cookies” below. For more information on how we use cookies, please see our Cookies notice.
Your cookie preferences have been saved. You can update your cookie settings at any time on the cookies page.
Your cookie preferences have been saved. You can update your cookie settings at any time on the cookies page.
Sorry, there was a technical problem. Please try again.
This site is a beta, which means it's a work in progress and we'll be adding more to it over the next few weeks. Your feedback helps us make things better, so please let us know what you think.
The family of a man killed in a drive-by shooting outside a party have thanked our officers after two men were jailed for a total of at least 64 years for his murder.
Robert Powell, 50, was gunned down after leaving a party in Roydon, Harlow, in the early hours of 13 June 2020.
The principal organiser of the hit, Nana Oppong, 44, and co-defendant Israar Shah, 39, have been convicted of murder.
Today (Friday 31 May), they were sentenced to life imprisonment at Woolwich Crown Court.
Mr Powell’s sister said:
“I would like to thank the team from Essex Police involved in bringing these two murderers to court to face justice.
“I know there was a lot of hard work involved in bringing them to trial.
“It has been a long and painful experience for us all since Robert was killed in 2020, but I am glad two of the people responsible were not able to hide forever.”
Both stood trial charged with murder and possession of a firearm.
Oppong was further charged with causing grievous bodily harm and possessing a prohibited weapon.
Both defendants were convicted on all charges on Tuesday 28 May.
Oppong admitted a charge of conspiring to supply Class A drugs shortly before the trial.
Oppong will serve a minimum term of 38 years until he can be considered for parole, Shah a minimum of 26 years.
Detective Superintendent Steve Jennings, who led the investigation, said:
“Today marks a significant milestone in what has been a four-year effort to bring two dangerous killers to justice.
“Robert Powell was callously executed in a carefully organised drive-by shooting in Roydon, Harlow, in 2020.
“From the outset of our investigation, which was conducted by a dedicated team of officers and staff, we have sought justice and answers for Robert’s family.
“They have remained patient, restrained and dignified throughout what has been a traumatic process for them. I would first pay tribute to them and I hope they take a small degree of solace from the fact two of the people responsible for murdering Robert have been brought to justice.
“They have been left to pick up the pieces after their lives were shattered, cruelly, by the actions of Nana Oppong and Israar Shah that day.
“Oppong wanted Robert dead and formed a plan, using a team of associates, to murder him.
“He has refused at every turn to accept any responsibility for his actions in arranging this killing.
“Shah lied about his presence at the scene, telling the jury he was there to deal drugs. Thanks to the evidence we gathered, the jury saw through this lie.
“These sentences do not mark the end of our investigation.
“We know, and the evidence is clear, others were likely involved in Robert’s murder, and we will continue to work to see them identified and arrested.”
Paying tribute to Mr Powell, his sister said:
“Robert was my younger brother, father to three children and grandfather to two grandchildren, they were just babies when he was murdered.
“I look back to our childhood, where we would go over to Springfield Park, Hackney Marshes, playing pranks on each other, just being kids.
“I thought we would have grown old with each other, look after our mother and support each other.
“Now he is gone and the main responsibility for our mother has fallen to me, her health has deteriorated so much, she has mobility issues and is generally quiet frail.
“I see her listening to old voice messages she has from him on her phone, this makes me feels so sad, she shouldn’t have to go through this.
“Robert’s death has fractured my family and it now feels broken.
“Family events are no longer what they used to be. Robert was a big part of this such as a birthday or anniversary, he valued that family time.
“We would all get together; he would then turn up and was the life and soul.
“He would come into the room, and everyone would take notice, it would light up.
“The talk of Uncle Robert coming to an event such as a birthday, would get the kids all excited as they loved being around him.
“Robert was such a family orientated person; he loved being around us all. This is now gone and get-togethers are not the same.
“To the two people who have been convicted of Robert’s death: We still have so many unanswered questions.
“The main one being: Why did you do this? What did you achieve?
“These questions cause us more pain and make this whole situation worse.
“Firstly, you flee the country, this meant we were constantly wondering when you would be found.
“Seeing a call from the police would have us hoping that you had been located and were on your way home.
“By going on the run, it has delayed this process and made me, my family and the friends of Robert live part of this nightmare longer than we should have.
“You both have caused so much pain, and ripples of that are still being felt today.
“I have attended court every day to hear what you have had to say, and how you say you were not involved in Robert’s death.
“I have heard how Robert died more than a sister should during this trial, our family should never have to go through that.
“Events from that night being talked about in court brought back memories of Robert dying in the hospital, the smell, the sounds, everything. It is something I just want to forget.
“It takes me two hours to get to court every day. My journey involves me having to pass the hospital where Robert died, then pass the cemetery where he rests with my other brother and Grandad.
“This journey to and from court, along with what is said during it just feels me with sadness.
“I haven’t seen any remorse from either of you throughout this time, I only hope as you spend the best years of your life in prison, you come to realise the implications you have had on mine, my families and even your own life.”
We know others were likely involved in the murder and our investigation is ongoing.
With the support of the NCA and law enforcement agencies abroad, a 40-year-old man, from London, was recently arrested in Spain in connection with our enquiries and charged with murder.
Two organised criminals who worked together to gun down a victim outside a party in Harlow have been convicted of murder.
Nana Oppong, 43, and Israar Shah, 39, organised and carried out the killing of 50-year-old Robert Powell in Roydon, Harlow, in the early hours of 13 June 2020.
Mr Powell, who had left a party at an address in Water Lane at around 4.45am, was shot eight times and later died in hospital.
A Ford Kuga, later found to be on cloned number plates, stopped near Mr Powell in the seconds before the shooting, before an individual stepped out of the vehicle and gunned him down.
A shot went through Mr Powell and hit two nearby women, causing them injury.
The Ford Kuga made off from the scene.
Our investigation later traced this vehicle to an industrial estate in Epping, where it was dumped before being collected hours later.
Through our analysis of CCTV and mobile phones, we were able to link Oppong and Shah to the killing.
Our investigation – together with the National Crime Agency’s successful cracking of EncroChat, an encrypted messaging service largely used by organised criminals – established Oppong had likely been out to get Mr Powell.
It is believed days before the shooting, on 5 June, the suspects had planned an aborted attack on the victim.
Other encrypted messages included a discussion about a specific type of 9mm ammunition – the same type used to kill Mr Powell.
In the hours following the shooting, Oppong’s EncroChat handle deleted a significant amount of data, suggesting he was trying to hide incriminating evidence tying him to the murder.
The EncroChat conversations further implicated Oppong in a conspiracy to supply cocaine and transfer criminal profits.
Shah was linked to a Toyota Prius recovered from his home address in the days following the shooting.
This Prius was spotted travelling in convoy with a Vauxhall Zafira to the location of the murder and away from the scene in the moments after the shooting.
The Prius is seen to drive past the party repeatedly in the hour before the murder.
Our investigation established Shah, in the Prius, acted a spotter on the lookout for Mr Powell, while the Zafira was a support vehicle.
Both vehicles were there to assist the gunman in the Kuga in carrying out the hit.
Both Oppong and Shah fled the country in the days following the killing and were eventually apprehended thanks to extensive work by Essex Police with the assistance of partners including the National Crime Agency.
Oppong was located in Morocco in September 2022 after trying to enter the country using false documents. He was extradited back to the UK in June 2023.
Shah was located in Spain in December 2022 and extradited back to the UK in March 2023.
Both stood trial at Woolwich Crown Court charged with murder and possession of a firearm.
Oppong was further charged with causing grievous bodily harm and possessing a prohibited weapon.
Both defendants were convicted on all charges on Tuesday 28 May.
Oppong admitted a charge of conspiring to supply Class A drugs shortly before the trial.
They are set to be sentenced at the same court on Friday 31 May.
We know others were likely involved in the murder and we will continue our work to identify and prosecute them.
Detective Superintendent Stephen Jennings, of our Serious Crime Directorate, led the investigation and said:
“This murder was unusual in its level of sophistication, organisation and brutality.
“It was not a spontaneous act of violence, but rather a planned and carefully co-ordinated execution.
“While we may never know why the defendants carried out this murder, it is clear Oppong held a grievance against Robert Powell and was committed to seeing him killed.
“Robert’s murder has left his family utterly devastated and they have displayed dignity throughout a years-long investigation and now, a difficult trial.
“We have dedicated countless hours to this investigation, trawling through thousands of hours of CCTV and analysing hundreds of phones.
“Oppong is a committed and high-level criminal, and thought he could use his knowledge of law enforcement tactics and encrypted messaging to evade justice.
“He enlisted the help of Israar Shah to act as a spotter, striking the moment Robert was seen to emerge from a party he had been attending.
“We quickly focused our investigation on the movements of three key vehicles, seen travelling in convoy and clearly used solely to effectively carry out the murder.
“Our investigation then extended to working with partners, including the National Crime Agency, to locate and arrest our suspects.
“It quickly became clear they had fled the country, and thanks to partnership working with law enforcement agencies in the UK and abroad, the net soon closed in on Oppong and Shah."
Samantha Woolley, a Specialist Prosecutor from the Crown Prosecution Service in the East of England, said:
“Robert Powell was ambushed and shot eight times as he left a birthday party in a meticulously planned murder.
“Bystanders were left terrified and Mr Powell’s sons had to witness their father being treated at the scene before going to hospital where he died.
“Oppong was the mastermind and Israar Shah acted as a lookout. Both men were at the scene and then quickly fled the country.
“I worked with our extradition lawyers to get them back to the UK so they could be put on trial.
"I hope their murder convictions provide Mr Powell’s family with a sense of justice.”
David Cater, NCA Regional Manager for North and West Africa said:
“Nana Oppong and Israar Shah fled the UK after carrying out a callous drive-by shooting that sadly cost Robert Powell his life.
“Both were traced, apprehended and returned to the UK to face the consequences of their crimes.
“In the case of Oppong, an NCA-led extensive campaign to track him down ended in his capture by Moroccan authorities as he tried to enter the country from Spain in the back of a lorry. From there he was swiftly brought back to the UK by officers from our Joint International Crime Centre.
“This is one of many examples that show there is nowhere for offenders to hide. Working with our partners in the UK and overseas, we are committed to capturing wanted fugitives and ensuring they have their day in court.
“We are pleased to have assisted Essex Police’s investigation that has resulted in the convictions of these two murderers.”
In 2022, on the second anniversary of Robert's passing, his mother paid tribute to him, stating:
“My son was an awesome person with a smile that still warms my heart.
“He was a father of three children and a grandfather of two.
“He was a well-loved son, brother, nephew, uncle, cousin and friend to many, and we all love and miss him.
“He would call me every week or every other day, we would Facetime each other and talk about the family, and the plans we have for the future.
“But others choose to take his dream and future plans for his family from him."
At Essex Police we put victims at the heart of everything we do. The Victims’ Code explains the rights that everyone can expect to receive as a victim of crime, and helps us define what we must do for all victims from their initial contact with our force until the conclusion of their case.
Find out more about the code and to understand the rights of a victim of crime, on our Support for victims and witnesses of crime page.
To report a crime, please use our digital 101 service. In an emergency call 999.
We're offering more ways for our communities to stay up to date with our work across Essex.
Our e-newsletter, Dispatch, delivers news, information, and advice from Essex Police.
Dispatch is a ‘one stop shop’ for local police news – direct from the source.
Sign up is completely free and you can unsubscribe at any time.