FOUR men were today sentenced to a total of 95 years for their parts in the killing of a drugs supplier in a rural layby.

Gurinderjit Rai, 41, was shot dead in Shepherds Farm Lane, Corhampton, on July 12, 2019. He was discovered with fatal blows to his head and neck the following day.

Today a judge at Winchester Crown Court told the men responsible for his murder that it was a “quick, brutal and well-planned execution”.

Aston Hannis, 30, and Charlie Statham, 30, were found guilty of murder following an eight-week trial. Paul White, 27, and Corin Barlow, 41, were found guilty of manslaughter.

White acted as the getaway driver after the car used in the shooting was burnt and Barlow supplied the sawn-off shotgun used to kill Mr Rai.

Hannis was jailed for life imprisonment, minimum term of 35 years, while Statham was sentenced to life imprisonment, but received a minimum term of 28 years.

White was jailed for 15 years for manslaughter and Barlow was sentenced for 17 years for manslaughter. He was also jailed for two years and two months for possessing a sawn-off shotgun without a firearms certificate, which will be served concurrently.

Mrs Justice Cutts said the shooting was the “enterprise” of drug dealer Hannis, in which there was a “significant degree of planning and premeditation”.

In sentencing him, she said: “Having seen both of you (Hannis and Statham) give evidence I am quite sure that you Hannis you pulled the trigger and killed Mr Rai.”

She continued: “Gurinderjit Rai was shot dead, two shots were fired to his head and neck at point-blank or near to point-blank range.

“It is quite clear that the motive to the killing arose from your dealings, Hannis, with class A drugs. You were high up in the organised crime group that had at its purpose the supply of class A drugs in Hampshire.”

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Mrs Justice Cutts said that the operation employed 30 people and would make up to £200,000 a week.

“You obtained your cocaine from Mr Rai who was above you in the hierarchy. You would pay Mr Rai when the drugs were sold. It appears up until the summer of 2019 you had a good relationship with him.

“Things became tense between you in late June early July that year.”

She continued: “Two houses in which you kept your drugs and money were burgled. By early July you were telling your wife you had nothing, and it would take years to recover.”

By the time of Mr Rai’s death, Hannis owed him £148,000. The judge said: “Tensions began to increase, it is clear that you became fearful of being burgled again. It is my view you had to show your strength in the underworld that you live in [by killing Mr Rai].

“In my view, the strong likelihood, on the evidence, you made that decision around about on third or fourth of July.

“Your communication with Mr Rai was becoming more tense and you were avoiding communicating with him on occasions.”

Mrs Justice Cutts added: “There was a significant amount of planning involved, firstly you obtained the murder weapon, then you had to decide where to kill him.”

She said that Hannis, Statham and White were part of a reconnaissance trip around Corhampton on the Thursday before the murder.

She continued: “I find that you arranged to meet him on the pretence that you would pay him money.

“On the night of the killing you lured him there, he knew you, you owed him money and he didn’t question it.”

The judge added: “You needed someone to help at the scene and with the burning of the car, someone to collect you afterwards.

“You couldn’t go to others in your organised crime group, they would have likely to have known Mr Rai and word would have got out. Statham and White were very close friends of yours.

“Both were aware of the burglaries of your safe houses and expressed their support to you.”

In sentencing Statham, she said: “I find that you had known what Hannis had planned for the following night. I find that having found a suitable place for the murder you returned to Winchester and collected White returning to the scene with him.”

The judge said that she believed Statham became involved out of “misplaced loyalty”, she also refused to believe that he was intoxicated by drink and drugs during the murder – as he had claimed in evidence.

And jailing White, Mrs Justice Cutts said: “You were drawn into assisting Hannis as a result of your unquestioning loyalty.

“You put your loyalty for him ahead of your family.”

In sentencing Barlow, she said: “In handing over a working sawn-off shotgun it must have been obvious to you that there was a high risk of death or GBH (grievous bodily harm).”

She added that Barlow was involved in Hannis’ organised crime group “but at a lower level”.

Speaking to the killers, the judge said: “Your combined actions took a man’s life. Mr Rai was 41 years of age, yes, he was a drug dealer but that is not all he was, he was a beloved, son, father, brother and friend. A man who would go out of his way to help people.”