Tanesha Melbourne-Blake may not have been the intended target when she was killed in the Northumberland Park area of Tottenham in April 2018, the Old Bailey was told.
Michael Clarke, 36, is on trial for Tanesha’s murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
Opening the case on Wednesday, Jocelyn Ledward KC said: “The prosecution case is that she was shot during a ride-out from neighbouring Wood Green into Northumberland Park, as a result of a slight to a man named Marcus La Croix in the early hours of April 1, 2018.
“The ride-out was intended to result in death or serious injury through the use of a self-loading pistol which was discharged three times in Chalgrove Road, although Tanesha may not have been the intended target.”
Clarke was allegedly one of the men in the vehicle from which the fatal shot was fired.
Outlining the background, Ms Ledward said there had been “longstanding enmity” and territorial rivalry between criminal gangs operating in north London, in particular the Northumberland Park Killers (NPK) and the Wood Green Mob (WGM).
The NPK group, which associated with the colour purple, also went by the name “Sin Squad” and was based in Northumberland Park and Tottenham Hale, jurors were told.
The WGM associated with the colour green and its territory bordered NPK turf further west, the court heard.
Ms Ledward told jurors “The disputes between the two rival groups took the form of a series of violent tit-for-tat incidents, stabbings and shootings, some of them fatal, and were at their height in the period 2016-2020.”
Tanesha’s murder was not just a continuation of the violence but had its own catalyst, it was alleged.
Clarke lived in Wood Green and was in the vicinity on the evening of the shooting, the court was told.
His friend, La Croix, who was also known as Bobby Slater, lived in Hackney and also had a long-standing link to Wood Green, jurors were told.
Ms Ledward said: “The prosecution case is that this defendant was a close associate of Marcus La Croix, so close that he would be prepared to and was the first to act in the event that La Croix was attacked or publicly humiliated and that is precisely what he did.”
Shorly after 1am on April 1, La Croix and his girlfriend had visited a diner in Farringdon called Tinsel Town where four men with links to NPK happened to be, jurors heard.
The men followed the couple out and subjected La Croix to a “violent, entirely gratuitous, sustained and targeted physical assault” with punches and kicks as his girlfriend tried to protect him, Ms Ledward said.
One of the attackers picked up La Croix’s phone and filmed the incident – and footage later circulated widely social media, the court was told.
Clarke has denied the charges against him and asserted that he was not in the ride-out vehicle, jurors have heard.
The Old Bailey trial continues.
