A gang member in Islington has had a number of restrictions placed on him after the Met secured a 12-month gang injunction.

Dylan Callender O’Brien, 18, who resides in Enfield, was handed the order at Central London County Court on Tuesday, 8 December.

A gang injunction is a civil order against an individual who has been involved in gang-related violence. It allows police and local authorities to place a range of prohibitions and requirements on the behaviour and activities of a person involved in gangs and criminal activity.

The injunction prevents Callender O’Brien from contacting 59 other individuals, entering the borough of Islington and certain areas of Camden and Hackney and possessing a knife or offensive weapon. Further restrictions include riding a bike in a public place, possessing a balaclava and running away from police when instructed to stop.

He must also provide full details of his mobile phone and social media accounts to police. The content posted on his social media must not incite or encourage violence.

If he breaches the order he will be arrested and liable to serve time in prison.

Callender O’Brien was previously given an interim gang injunction on Thursday, 27 August and sentenced on Tuesday, 8 December for four breaches of the interim order:

On Tuesday, 8 September he was stopped by police after he was seen in the borough of in Islington;
On Tuesday, 13 October he was stopped by police while he was in Islington and he was carrying an unregistered phone;
On Thursday, 5 November he was in the company of another individual who he was not able to associate with under the order.
For this he was sentenced to eight weeks in a young offender’s institute, suspended for six months.

Officers from the Violence Intervention Unit and police for Central North BCU worked together and built up a wealth of evidence to demonstrate the seriousness of Callender O’Brien’s behaviour over a four year period.

PC Gill Simpson from the Violence Intervention Unit said: “Gang injunctions are a powerful tool used in our efforts to crack down on gang crime and violence in our communities.

“This injunction lasts until 8 December 2021 and we will take action to enforce all of its terms and restrictions. The court agreed with our case that it is proportionate to implement these restrictions on Callender O’Brien to prevent further criminality and harm to communities.

“If anyone breaches a gang injunction, officers will arrest them put them back before the courts.

“The purpose of gang injunction is to reduce the opportunity for violence and criminal activity by restricting individuals from associating with each other prohibiting them from frequenting in certain areas.

“Bearing down on violent crime in all its forms is our top priority and we have shown our relentless pursuit to reduce violence by imposing civil orders such as this one.”

+ We would like to hear from anyone who has information about crime, those who carry a weapon, or those who exploit others for gain or revenge, while putting young people’s lives at risk.

Community intelligence can be used to great effect to not only detect, but also prevent crime, keep London safe and save young lives. If you don’t want to speak to the police, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They are a totally independent charity and you will remain 100% anonymous – they never ask your name and they cannot trace your call, your IP address or the device you use. Alternatively, visit their website https://crimestoppers-uk.org/.

If you are worried about someone you suspect may be carrying a knife or other weapon, advice and support is also available through organisations including Knife Free https://www.knifefree.co.uk/get-help-support/ and Fearless: https://www.fearless.org/en