By Ollie Irish
Footballer Gavin Grant was jailed for life today for shooting a former friend. He will serve at least 25 years in prison.
The 26-year-old journeyman striker, who played for Bradford, Wycombe, Gillingham and Millwall, was found guilty of murdering Leon Labastide, 21, in 2004. Labastide was gunned down outside his parents’ home in 2004.
Grant had already been cleared in 2007 of the shooting of Jahmall Moore. But he didn’t get away with Labastide’s death after new witnesses came forward to testify.
Gareth Downie, 25, and Damian Williams, 32, were also jailed for life and given minimum terms of 25 years – Downie for murdering Labastide and Williams for conspiracy to murder.
As Grant was being sentenced at the Old Bailey, a woman shouted from the public gallery: “It’s all fixed!” and “You are coming out!”
Detective Inspector Steve Horsley said: “Gavin Grant thought he had got away with murder. He carried on his footballing career while, all along, he had blood on his hands.”
There is no fun to be had here. A sorry story, all the way. Oh, except perhaps a joke about shooting straight. Sorry.