Our ray of sunshine: Mother of murdered Polish careworker pays tribute to daughter shot in 'Wild West' gunfight

As a teenager was found guilty of killing Magda Pniewska, her mother Barbara said: "We still wait for her phone call, her warm smile, her knock on the door."

Magda Pniewska (right) with her sister Elzbieta, who heard the shooting on her mobile

"Hope has been overtaken by reality. She will never be with us again.

"The death of Magda has cast a shadow on our reason for living. The ray of sunshine that was Magda has gone from our family.

Jurors wept as the victim impact statement was read out at the Old Bailey, where Armel Gnango was found guilty of 26-year-old Magda's murder.

She was walking home from work, chatting on her mobile to her sister in Poland, when she walked into the path of two youths exchanging fire over a drugs debt of just £20.

She died instantly from a single bullet wound to the head.

Gnango, 17, from Brixton, South London, is facing a life sentence for the murder of the nursing assistant, attempted murder of the second gunman and having a gun with intent to endanger life.

He was found guilty even though he did not fire the fatal shot. The court was told that he was still responsible for the killing because he was involved in the gunfight.

Police believe it was the second youth firing at Gnango who fatally wounded Magda.

Today, the Daily Mail can reveal that when police arrested him they found a gun remarkably similar to the one used to kill Magda, but with no fingerprints on it they have not been able to get enough evidence to prosecute him.

Police will attempt to get more information about the second youth from Gnango, who has so far refused to co-operate.

Described as 'feral', the second 17-year-old regularly carries guns and knives and often swaggers around boasting about the number of people he has shot at.

Yesterday, Magda's 53-year-old mother, a bank clerk, attacked 'lawless-Britain and called for tougher gun penalties.

"What I don't understand is why Magda was always hearing guns going off in her neighbourhood but the police couldn't do anything about it," she said.

"It's not normal or acceptable that in broad daylight people should be shooting at each other.

"There should be much stronger penalties for possession of a gun in England."

Her husband Ryszard, 58, added: "In Poland we don't have teenagers walking around with guns like you do in England.

"I always looked up to Britain as a solid, safe country. So I was happy for my daughter to go there and find her way in life.

"And look what happened. Our life is so very heavy for us now."

Gnango had gone to John William Close estate in New Cross, South-East London, last October looking for another 17-year- old because he was owed money.

But he was ambushed by the youth wearing a red bandana who opened fire at him.

Grinning, Gnango pulled out his own gun and started firing back.

Magda had just finished her shift at Bupa's Manley Court Care Home at 6pm when she was hit by a stray bullet.

Her sister Elzbieta, to whom she was speaking on the phone, heard three or more shots ring out before hearing her sister moan and fall to the ground.

Both youths ran off unharmed leaving Magda to die. Gnango was arrested four days later.

Born in the Ivory Coast, he was brought to Britain at age three after his mother left his father, a farmer.

At 12, he played football for Fulham and Wembley youth teams before descending into crime.

By the age of 17, Gnango had nine convictions for theft and drugs offences. At the time of his arrest he had not seen his mother in over a year.

He had been taken into care after she left him at home alone in Streatham to go into hospital to have her third child.

Outside court, Detective Chief Inspector Tony Boughton paid tribute to the bravery of 15 witnesses who gave evidence with their identities protected through screens and voice distortion.

In the line of fire: The scene at the estate in south east London where Magda Pniewska was murdered