Gangster who set up murder from his cell is jailed for life

Delphon Nicholas used a smuggled mobile phone to order hitman Trevor Dennie to shoot a hated rival. The pair were convicted of murder at the Old Bailey and sentenced to a minimum of 30 years.

The court had heard how Nicholas, 29, of Sydenham, was in Belmarsh after an arrest on firearms charges later dropped when he arranged the killing of Andrew Wanoghu. Wanoghu, 26, a former boxer who fought under the nickname "The Assassin", was a drug dealer involved in a long-running dispute with the gangster.

In April 2006 Wanoghu went to Brockley for a drugs deal and was shot dead in Pendrell Road by hooded gunman Dennie, 33, of Deptford.

Passing sentence, Judge Richard Hone said: "You are two cold blooded killers. You both exude an aura of violence. There is no mitigation."

He added nine months to Nicholas's term after the thug started beating up his girlfriend, Sereata Barrie, in the dock as the jury retired to consider their verdict. Barrie, 29, Erron Cato, 25, and Michael Williams, 28, were cleared of involvement in the murder.

Wanoghu had been prime suspect in the shooting of Damien Cope, 22, whose mother Lucy went on to form the charity Mothers Against Guns.