Gang found guilty of funeral murder

Colin Joyce, 29, who styled himself "The General", and Lee Amos, 32, leaders of Manchester's notorious Gooch Gang, were both convicted of the drive-by killing of a mourner at the funeral of a man Joyce had "executed" months earlier.

The convictions can be reported after a judge lifted restrictions on the case at Liverpool Crown Court.

Joyce, who had the pockets of his jeans specially adapted to act as a gun holster, led the Gooch Gang in dealing drugs, torturing street dealers who crossed them and targeting rivals, culminating in the murders of Ucal Chin, 24, and Tyrone Gilbert, 23, who had links to the rival Longsight Crew.

Gang warfare erupted in the city in 2007 after the pair were released on licence from jail for firearms offences. They were recalled to prison for breaking their licences in late 2007.

Since then, police said, there has been a 92% reduction in gang-related shootings in Manchester. There has also been no gang-related murder for more than 12 months.

Such was the improvement in gun crime figures that Home Secretary Jacqui Smith travelled to Manchester to hold a press conference with police chiefs to herald the success - only to cancel the event after Mr Justice Langstaff ruled the six-month long, £5 million trial at Liverpool Crown Court could be prejudiced if jurors linked the story with the men they were trying.

Also in the dock were Narada Williams, 27, also known as "Yardie" and his brother Ricardo, 26, Hassan Shah, 25, and Aeeron Campbell, 25, all senior members of the gang, while Aaron Alexander, 22, Ricci Moss, 21, Kayael Wint, 20, Gonoo Hussain, 25, and Tyler Mullings, 18, were lower-level foot soldiers.

All 11 gang members have now been found guilty of 26 of the 27 charges ranging from murder and gun possession to drug dealing. The jury failed to reach a verdict on one count of murder on Amos relating to Tyrone Gilbert.

They all await sentencing.