Teenager jailed for killing to impress his friends

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Care worker Charles Anokye was knifed at a Brixton nightclub

A member of a notorious street gang has been jailed for life after stabbing a care worker to death in an attempt to impress his friends.

Anwar Hussain, 17, part of the Muslim Boys gang, knifed care worker Charles Anokye at a Brixton nightclub after the victim had accidentally hit another gang member with his drink bottle, the Old Bailey heard.

Mr Anokye, 23, who worked in a nursing home, was set upon after he left Mass, a club beneath St Matthew's Church in Brixton, on 1 August last year. He was chased by the gang and stabbed 13 times. CCTV pictures showed Hussain dealing blows with a knife. As Mr Anokye lay dying, the gang stole his phone, keys and money.

As Hussain, of Brixton, was sentenced for murder yesterday, his lawyer Andrew Campbell-Tiech QC said the attack had been a "a truly pathetic attempt to make himself popular" with his fellow gang members.

Today Mr Anokye's uncle Osei Twummasi said the family were glad justice had been done. "We went to his grave to say the people had been brought to justice," he said.

Describing how Mr Anokye had moved to England from Ghana in 2003, he added: "His goal in life was to work and study hard and in return find a good job. The path he was starting on was slowly becoming a reality.î

His death has left his mother a broken woman, added Mr Twummasi. "Her whole life has stopped. She will never hear his voice again," he said.

Edwin Bamfo, 18 , of Streatham, and Aaron Roberts, 20, of Kennington, were jailed for 10 years for manslaughter.

Rico Tracey, 18, of West Norwood, and Ben Jatto, 17, of Stockwell, were each jailed for two years and 18 months for violent disorder.

Everald Howell, 18, of no fixed abode, was cleared of any wrongdoing. The jury failed to reach a verdict on Daniel Brown, 20, of Kennington, and a 16-year-old who cannot be named. They face a retrial.

 

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