A 42 gang loyalist will be sentenced today after being found guilty of involvement in a triple shooting on Court Street.

A jury found Cervio Cox guilty yesterday of wounding three men with intent to do grievous bodily harm during the daylight bloodshed on May 23 2009.

He could face up to ten years imprisonment per victim in the incident, which was part of ongoing street warfare between 42 and their gang rivals Parkside.

Cox, who has a two-year-old daughter and no previous convictions, showed no emotion as the verdicts were delivered at 5.45 p.m. His parents, who supported him throughout the trial, left court without comment.

However, a teacher from his former school, Saltus Grammar, later told The Royal Gazette: "I remember Cervio well. He was a bright, lively student with a keen sense of humour, who got on well with just about everyone he was also a very good sportsman.

"I talked to him about 18 months ago and it seemed that he had things going along a good path. We were all surprised to find him involved in this issue."

The trial heard evidence from Police gang expert Sergeant Alex Rollin that 26-year-old Cox was known to frequent St. Monica's Road the heart of 42 gang territory.

Police also recovered a large gold medallion from his home bearing the letters "CC 42".

Prosecutor Robert Welling suggested that meant he was a follower of the gang, and loyal to it. He alleged that the Court Street shooting was retaliation for the shooting-to-death on St. Monica's Road the day before of Kenwandee (Wheels) Robinson, a friend of Cox's.

Cox's cousin, Mikey Adams, was seriously injured in that same incident. Sgt. Rollin said both Mr. Robinson and Mr. Adams were known members of 42 and the gang believed Parkside was behind the St. Monica's Road attack.

Urging the jury to convict Cox, Mr. Welling told them he had every motive to be involved in retaliation on Court Street the next morning, having plotted with other 42 men.

"His anger and his desire for revenge got the better of him and he agreed with others to participate in this incident," he said.

A gunman described as a Jamaican and never alleged to be Cox opened fire on 16-year-old Parkside associate J'Dun Thompson around 9 a.m. while Court Street was busy with passers-by.

He shot the teenager in the foot before chasing him into nearby C&R Discount Store and opening fire on innocent store workers Raymond Burgess Jr. and his father Raymond Sr. who were also left injured.

A total of eight shell cases were recovered from the scene.

According to prosecutors, Cox was the getaway driver in the shooting, which saw his Volkswagen car used to transport both the gunman and a lookout man to and from the scene.

If it could not be proved he was the driver, they said, he was at least guilty of lending his vehicle to whoever perpetrated the crime. Either way, the law says Cox the only person charged over the shootings was criminally responsible for the injuries caused through his role as accomplice.

The jury convicted him by majority verdicts of ten to two after deliberating for five-and-a-half hours yesterday.

However, the panel of five men and seven women cleared Cox of the more serious charges of conspiracy to murder and using a firearm, which could have attracted lengthier sentences.

The defendant, a water truck driver from Smith's, denied any involvement in the crime or in the 42 gang. He gave evidence last week, saying he lent his car to two gangsters on St. Monica's Road that morning as he was too scared to refuse their request.

He also claimed to be too scared to give their names in court, for fear of revenge against himself or his loved ones. He explained he grew up on St. Monica's Road, and frequents the area because he has family and friends there.

Defence lawyer Jerome Lynch QC claimed the Police know the true identities of the three men involved, but have not got enough evidence to press charges.

Cox even spoke out during his time on the witness stand against the gang warfare between 42 and Parkside.

The death of Mr. Robinson was the trigger for what has proved to be 12 months of bloodshed in Bermuda, which has seen a total of eight men shot dead.

Cox told the jury: "I don't know where it came from. It's definitely at a more serious level now as we all know. Just senseless really."

He also commented: "It only begets more violence and you get it on a more serious level, you build more hate and you don't even know where the hate is coming from."

No-one has been charged over any of the eight murders, and tensions between 42 and Parkside continue to run high.

Cox is due to be sentenced by Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves at noon today. However, prosecutor Mr. Welling raised security concerns on behalf of the prison service over the timing of the hearing as a "large number of Parkside defendants" are also due to be transported to court for other cases today.

However, Mr. Justice Greaves remanded Cox into custody commenting: "I'm sure that the prisons and Police are able to coordinate so that they have no problems transporting the two sides."

Watch our website at www.theroyalgazette.com for the outcome of the sentencing, and read tomorrow's edition of the paper for the full story and reaction.