London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Sep 12, 2025

Encrypted messaging system used to procure gun for murder, court hears

Encrypted messaging system used to procure gun for murder, court hears

EncroChat service allegedly used to secure weapon for London killing and to plan another that did not take place
A sophisticated encrypted phone messaging system was used to supply a firearm for a murder and to hatch a failed plot to carry out another killing, an Old Bailey jury has been told at the trial of two men whose secret communications were intercepted.

The so-called EncroChat service was allegedly used to procure a firearm to carry out a murder in London in 2020 and to plan another that did not take place.

Paul Fontaine, 36, was a “criminal middleman” who supplied weapons, drugs and counterfeit currency to other professional criminals, communicating with them on encrypted phones, said the prosecuting counsel, Kevin Dent QC.

In this role, he conspired with others to transfer a firearm that was used in the murder of Abdullahi Mahmoud in March 2020, the court heard. He is charged with conspiracy to supply a firearm in connection with that murder.

Fontaine is also alleged to have conspired with Frankie Sinclair, 34, to murder a rival of Sinclair’s called Keiron Hassan, and others, in the course of a dispute between Sinclair and a rival group.

Sinclair allegedly sought the assistance of Fontaine to procure a handgun and ammunition to carry out a “revenge murder” after his mother’s home in Cardiff had come under attack. Both men are charged with conspiracy to murder.

During the messaging, Fontaine communicated his involvement in the murder of Mahmoud, indicating he had earlier arranged to supply a firearm for a murder, the court heard. Sinclair was alleged to have taken possession of a Walther PPK handgun and ammunition in order to kill Hassan.

Sinclair was involved in a dispute with a rival group that had escalated and led to his mother’s house being targeted by three men armed with firearms and a crossbow in March 2020. He believed that group of men to include or have been directed by Keiron Hassan and he engaged Fontaine’s services to carry out the murder of the attackers, the court heard.

The court heard that Hassan was soon afterwards taken into custody and thus the attack could not take place. Sinclair was said to have also been involved in supplying class A drugs, offences for which he has already pleaded guilty.

“EncroChat devices are like mobile phones but they are highly secure,” said Dent. “They offer higher levels of security. An EncroChat device can only communicate with another EncroChat device, not the kind of mobile you could use for cinema tickets or to order a pizza … each device is assigned a unique handle or name.”

The court heard that Sinclair’s handle was “Nudetrain” and Fontaine’s was
“Usualwolf”.

The handsets cost more than £1,000 and were not available in shops. “It is an expensive product but an extremely useful device for organised criminals to use in order to be able to communicate with others without anyone outside being able to find out,” the court heard.

Although law enforcement agencies had later been able to access the information available on the devices, “at the time users thought that no one else could. We suggest that they [Sinclair and Fontaine] were pretty upfront and explicit, there was no beating about the bush.”

In one communication, Fontaine had indicated that he was short of firearms “because part of his own stock had been used in a murder”. In another message Sinclair asked Fontaine for “sweets”, which the court was told meant bullets, which cost £10 each.

“Need them sweets ain’t looking to waste none,” said another message. A further one read “I need 2 savages so can do 2 glides in 1 wA u saying I pay them,” which the prosecution suggested was Sinclair’s request to Fontaine for extra manpower and cars to assist him.

Another reference in messages was to “duppy”, a slang term for ghost, indicating that death would be involved. Sinclair supposedly referred to the handgun in the messages as a “James Bond ting”.

“They were both also involved in other criminal enterprises,” the court heard. “Paul Fontaine, as part of his role in serving the needs of criminals, was also involved in the supply of heroin and counterfeit currency.”

Both men deny conspiracy to murder and all other charges.

The trial continues.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
×