Two teenagers from Goodmayes and Seven Kings have been jailed for 16 years for the manslaughter of "hardworking" law student Hussain Chaudhry.
The 18-year-old was fatally stabbed outside his family home in Lea Bridge Road, Walthamstow, in the early evening of March 17 last year.
Marvin Ward, 19, of Westwood Road in Goodmayes and Alexis Morris, 18, of South Park Drive in Seven Kings, were both convicted of manslaughter in December last year after a seven-week trial at Wood Green Crown Court.
They were sentenced by Judge Dodd QC at the same court today - February 4 - alongside 18-year-old Anthony Nguyen who was given an 18-month term for helping Morris hide out.
Morris was also found guilty of possession of a machete in a public place, while they were both also found guilty of maliciously wounding Hussain’s mother Bushara and brother Arshyam during the incident.
Both Ward and Morris were sentenced for all of the above offences, with each to run concurrently alongside the 16-year sentence handed down for the manslaughter.
It emerged during the proceedings that Ward and Morris went to Hussain's house on the pretext of buying a designer jacket.
Despite initially appearing willing to pay for the jacket, the pair then threatened Hussain and attempted to flee with the stolen item.
Upon hearing the commotion, Hussain’s two brothers intervened and managed to detain Morris.
An ensuing altercation spilled into the street, during which Ward inflicted the fatal blow to Hussain's neck, which the judge said "almost went straight through his body".
The teenager is said to have died in his mother's arms at the scene.
HHJ Dodd imposed the lengthy custodial sentences to reflect what he described as the "untimely and brutal killing" of a young man with a life "full of promise".
He was guided by a victim impact statement prepared by Hussain's sister, who told the court she and had suffered from PTSD, sleep paralysis and depression since her brother's death.
She said: "When I close my eyes I see his beautiful smile and it breaks me."
"The pain I feel cannot be put into words. This is not a life worth living without you."
Calling Ward and Morris "cowards", Hussain's sister added: "The pain of his loss is something that will define our family and our community for generations to come."
In sentencing, the judge drew on what he considered to be a number of "aggravating factors" - referring to the fact that the robbery was planned, that a weapon was brought, and to the fact that the killing took place in a public setting.
"It's clear to me that you both planned to use whatever force you deemed necessary to rob Hussain," said HHJ Dodd.
Describing the killing as a "grave crime", he said that both Ward and Morris "share the responsibility of the death of Hussain Chaudhry".
Ward was the only defendant to give evidence, from which HHJ Dodd could not "detect any trace of remorse or contrition".
This was also considered as an aggravating factor, as was a recording which showed Morris and Nguyen laughing at a rap video based on Hussain's killing.
The judge described the footage as "utterly disgraceful".
While acknowledging that no sentence can relieve the Chaudhry's loss, he said the courts must send a message: "Those who arm themselves with knives and kill will be given long custodial sentences."
Though the custodial term for Ward and Morris is 16 years, an additional four-year licence term has been added to reflect the seriousness of the offences.
This means the total sentence for both teenagers is 20 years - 16 years of those custodial.
HHJ Dodd said the only mitigating factor for both defendants was their young age.
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