Sasha Johnson Trial: Defendants Plead Not Guilty Over BLM Activist Shooting

The four men charged with conspiracy to murder in connection to the shooting of Black Lives Matter activist Sasha Johnson earlier this year have all pled not guilty.

Appearing before the Old Bailey court via video link from Belmarsh prison on Tuesday, Cameron Deriggs, 18, Devonte Brown, 19, Troy Reid, 20, and Prince Dixon, 25 all pled not guilty to conspiracy to commit murder.

The four men also pled not guilty on the charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition with the intent to endanger life in connection to the shooting of BLM activist Sasha Johnson.

Sasha Johnson, 27, was reportedly shot in the head while attending a back garden party in Peckham, London on May 23rd of this year.

The BLM activist has remained in hospital to this day after undergoing two operations on her brain. According to a report from the BBC, the mother of two remains in stable condition after initially being characterised as having been in critical condition.

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 24: Police forensic officers on Consort Road as they investigate the shooting of Sasha Johnson on May 24, 2021 in London, England. Ms Johnson’s condition was announced by her political party, Taking The Initiative, on Sunday, after the shooting occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning in Southwark. Ms Johnson had been a leading voice in the Black Lives Matter movement in the UK. (Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)

Ms Johnson rose to prominence as a leading voice in the Black Lives Matter movement in Britain last year in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in America.

She went on to co-found the Taking The Initiative Party (TTIP), which she initially described as the first “Black-led” political party in Britain, though later clarified that it was merely “black founded”.

A six-week trial is planned to start on March 7th next year. All you defendants will remain remanded in custody, with their next court appearance set for the 21st of February for a pre-trial hearing.

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