A TEENAGE drug dealer has been jailed for 16 years for being part of a gang which shot a rival pusher three times with a sub-machine gun.

Tariq Smith, 19, of Cumberland Road, Acton, was part of a three-man team who ambushed 33-year-old Marquis Onabodge, after luring him to a meeting at a Wembley hotel on April 15 this year, a court was told.

The Old Bailey jury heard how Mr Onabodge had hoped to buy 11,000 worth of cocaine but the deal turned into a "classic drugs rip-off" and Mr Onabodge was gunned down and robbed of the cash. Jonathan Laidlaw, prosecuting, said: "During the evening of April 15 the victim went to the Premier Hotel in Wembley."

The court heard Mr Onabodge was shown a small quantity of cocaine by another dealer, called Anthony Smith. He went back to his own room to check the quality of the drug and then returned to complete the transaction.

But Anthony Smith had been joined by two more men, his older brother Marlon Smith and the defendant, the jurors heard. All three then produced guns.

The victim then made a grab for the gun Anthony Smith was holding and as he struggled he saw Marlon Smith pointing a sub-machine gun at him, the court heard.

Three bullets struck Mr Onabodge who staggered out of the room. He pulled himself into the lift and got down to reception.

John Lyons, defending, said Tariq Smith denied participating in the shooting. He said: "He became involved as events developed during the course of the evening.

"What is clear is that this defendant alone is left to pay for an offence that was not at his instigation. He was not the leader or one of the leading lights in this group."

Jailing Tariq Smith for 16 years for attempted murder, Judge Anthony Morris QC said: "This was plainly intended to be an execution of a rival. This case was part of the drugs wars that from time to time make the streets so dangerous for ordinary people."

Tariq Smith, who was found guilty after a two-week trial, was also given a ten year sentence for conspiracy to rob, to run concurrently.

The other two men allegedly involved in the shooting are still missing and police believe they may have left the country.