Two men have been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a father of four following a minor altercation in a McDonald's queue. Horace Campbell, 28, and Liam Douglas-O'Callaghan, 18, were found guilty of killing Devon Scarlett, 32, in Brixton, south London, in April 2010.
The Old Bailey heard that Scarlett and Campbell argued inside the fast food restaurant early in the morning. Security guards escorted them out, but the dispute continued. Campbell called Douglas-O'Callaghan to bring a gun, and the two men agreed to meet in a nearby street for a shootout. Scarlett appeared to make a similar call but did not actually do so.
Prosecutor Bobbie Cheema said Campbell was determined to avenge what he saw as disrespect from Scarlett, who acted with 'foolish bravado' but was unarmed. Campbell followed Scarlett into Marcus Garvey Way and fired three shots, hitting him twice. He then said, 'You are not so hot now,' before walking away. Scarlett died in hospital hours later.
Judge Richard Hawkins sentenced Campbell to life with a minimum term of 32 years, and Douglas-O'Callaghan to detention for at least 18 years. Detective Inspector Henry Lindsley said the murder was triggered by a 'most minor of incidents' and highlighted Campbell's 'arrogance and obvious disregard for life.'
