Ilford and Manor Park men guilty of murder after stabbing teenage victim 17 times in Southwark

Amara Toure was stabbed to death on June 30. Picture: Met Police (Image: Archant)

Dullah Abdullah, 21, of Eton Road, Ilford, and Paulimho Paulo, 20, of Walton Road, Manor Park, were both convicted of murder at the Old Bailey on Thursday, December 19, following a three-week trial.

Sultan Chaudhry, a 20-year-old from High Street South, East Ham, had also been charged with murder but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter part-way through the trial.

The three friends stabbed 18-year-old Amara Toure to death on June 30 this year following an ongoing dispute between the parties.

At around 4.51am that day police were called at to reports of a fight at Sutherland Walk in Southwark.

They found no-one injured there, but shortly after Amara made his way to a hospital in south London with stab injuries.

Despite receiving treatment, he died at 7.23am.

A post-mortem examination gave cause of death as stab wounds and blood loss.

An investigation by homicide detectives from the Specialist Crime Command was then launched.

Earlier that night, Paulo, Adbullah, Chaudhry and others in their group were all at a fast food restaurant in Walworth Road at the same time as Amara and his friends.

A confrontation then ensued outside between the two groups before a number of those involved separated into different directions.

Amara was chased down by by Paulo and Adbullah onto Sutherland Walk where he was stabbed 17 times.

Amara flagged down a passing car and was driven to hospital.

The whole incident was over within four minutes of the confrontation starting.

Detectives investigating the murder reviewed hours of CCTV, analysed phone cell data and spoke to a number of witnesses.

Following the jury's verdict, Det Ch Insp John Massey, who led the investigation, said: "Paulo, Adbullah and Chaudhry have violent and criminal backgrounds and they will now pay the price for their actions.

"A family is now left without a son and they will have to live the rest of their lives with this loss.

"I would like to pay particular tribute to the courage and dignity Amara's mother has shown throughout this incredibly traumatic time and hope that today's verdict provides a sense of justice and some degree of closure.

"I and the investigating team are enormously grateful for the cooperation and assistance of the local community as well as the officers who responded to the incident and their management of the immediate aftermath."

They will be sentenced at the same court in the New Year on a date yet to be set.

Paulo was charged with murder on 4 July and Abdullah and Chaudhry were charged the following day.