Lobsang Hassan, 30, was late last month sentenced to life imprisonment in a London Court after he was found guilty of murder and attempted murder, according to a report in the Croydon Guardian.
According to the report, on January 1 this year Hassan fired eight shots at the brothers Darren and Junior Deslandes after they tried to restrain him at London’s Newton Arms pub, owned by their father. Darren Deslandes was killed almost instantly from a close-range shot to the head while his 25-year-old brother was left in a coma, fighting for his life after one bullet lodged itself in his skull and two more hit him in his neck. Hassan was found guilty of Darren’s murder and the attempted murder of Junior by a Jury at the Old Bailey and he must spend a minimum of 37 years behind bars.
The Croydon Guardian report said the Deslandes family had been throwing a party in their pub for family and friends; the brothers worked behind the bar while their father Wintworth and mother Lurline hosted the New Year’s Eve bash. At about 5am, a fight broke out on the dance floor between Hassan and another reveller over a woman he had spoken to. The report said Hassan was thrown out of the pub by Darren and Junior after he grabbed a bottle from the bar.
Less than 10 minutes later, Hassan returned with a weapon and gunned down the brothers, who collapsed next to each other. “CCTV showed him stumbling over the brothers on the floor as he made his escape, before pointing the gun at Wintworth Deslandes. Hassan pulled the trigger several more times, in an attempt to shoot Wintworth but the ammunition had run out and witnesses heard the gun clicking. Hassan then ran out of the pub, with Wintworth, despite being shot at, in hot pursuit,” the report said.
The Croydon Guardian also reported that Hassan wept in the dock when he gave evidence and told the jury he had no intention of hurting the brothers while he called the incident an “accidental tragedy.” He denied murder but said he was guilty of the lesser charges of manslaughter. He told the jury he wanted to take responsibility for his actions.
He was cleared of the attempted murder of Wintworth Deslandes.
