A teenager has been jailed for life after stabbing a rival gangster and leaving him to die in the street outside a shop in Hackney.
Daniel Campbell, 18, pulled out a knife in the shop in Homerton High Street before confronting Lamarni Hylton-Reid, 20, who was walking with a friend.
His victim collapsed on his back in the middle of the street after being stabbed. Campbell then plunged a knife into his chest to kill him, before running away into the nearby Linzell Estate.
His victim was pronounced dead in hospital within hours despite bystanders rushing to try to save him after the attack, on August 21 last year.
Police said the attack was "opportunist", despite the two being known to be affiliated with rival gangs in the area.
Campbell, of the Nye Bevan Estate in Hackney, was found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey and was yesterday jailed for life. He will serve at least 17 years before being considered for release.
Detective Chief Inspector John Sandlin said: "This was a tragic case, with an 18-year-old stabbed to death as a result of nothing more than supposed gang rivalry.
"I hope that Lamarni's family will derive some measure of comfort from knowing that the man who thoughtlessly and needlessly took such a young life has been brought to justice."
In a statement released after the sentencing, the victim's family said: "Our lives have changed forever; life will never be the same. There is not a day goes by without us thinking of Lamarni and wondering why his life is over before he had a chance to start.
"We will be there for each other as a family to help each other try and make sense of this terrible situation.
"We would like to thank the jury for their decision. We now want to move forward as a family and keep the memory of Lamarni alive."
