Men jailed after shooting and stabbing boy, 17, to death in Tottenham and trying to kill his friend

Four men have been jailed for a total of 79 years for shooting and stabbing 17-year-old Tyler McDermott and the attempted murder of another man in Tottenham in 2023. They were all sentenced at the Old Bailey today (Thursday, November 14) following a three-month trial.

The Metropolitan Police Service says that the incident occurred outside a music studio in Norman Road, Tottenham. The jury heard that Tyler and his friend left the music recording studio in the early hours of April 13, 2023, when he was shot and then stabbed by a group of men.

The prosecution’s case was that tensions began to arise after one of the defendants involved in the case became upset at being filmed inside the studio. This resulted in a 'confrontation' outside the studio and led to Tyler’s murder, police say.

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Emergency services rushed to the scene and took Tyler to hospital. But he succumbed to his injuries and died the following day.

Detectives discovered that Tyrese Barnett shot Tyler and Leo Reid struck him with a large machete when he was already laying on the floor with gunshot injuries. At the trial, the jury also heard that Barnett had discharged the firearm a second time while aiming the gun at Tyler’s friend.

He missed and Tyler’s friend was not harmed. The examination of CCTV footage from inside and outside of the recording studio on the night of the attack also showed what other people present at the scene were doing.

Rhys Antwi was seen on CCTV arming himself with a sword underneath his clothes inside the studio just before the shooting and the same sword was recovered from his address in Streatham. Police say that this showed he was readily armed and capable to use the weapon, should it have been required.

Kalam Bagge, who was in possession of a knife, was also captured on CCTV footage inside the studio just before the murder, which revealed that he knew that Barnett had taken possession of the firearm, and so 'knew violence was likely', the Met says.

Detective Inspector Devan Taylor, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “My thoughts remain with Tyler’s family who have remained dignified throughout this lengthy process. I commend them for the way they have carried themselves during these extremely difficult few months. I know they are absolutely devastated to have lost him in such tragic circumstances."

'These young men had a choice that night and – for reasons only known to them – they chose to resort to violence'

He added: “Nothing will bring Tyler back but I hope the sentences handed down to these individuals will help provide his friends and family with some form of closure. No family should ever have to suffer the loss of a loved one.

“An innocent young life was lost in such a cold and senseless way. These young men had a choice that night and – for reasons only known to them – they chose to resort to violence.”

Tyrese Barnett, 20, of Moyers Road, Newham, was sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 30 years, for murder, attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Leo Reid, 21, of Tulse Hill, Lambeth, was sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 22 years, for murder and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.

Rhys Antwi, 20, of Prentis Road, Lambeth, was sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 14 years, for murder and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. Kalam Bagge, 19, of Nimrod Road, Lambeth, was sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 13 years, for murder.

The jury concluded that Antwi and Bagge assisted and/or encouraged Barnett and Reid to carry out the fatal attack and they were both convicted of murder alongside Barnett and Reid. Two other men, now aged 20 and 21, also stood trial and were acquitted of Tyler’s murder.

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