Ayub Hassan murder: Boy jailed for Kensington county lines stabbing

Ayub Hassan was described as "very kind and handsome" by a family friend

A boy who stabbed another teenager in the heart amid a drugs row in an alley behind a Waitrose has been jailed.

Ayub Hassan, known as A1, was attacked in Kensington, west London, on 7 March.

The 17-year-old was stabbed in the heart by his attacker, aged 15, who then fled the scene on a Boris Bike, a court heard.

Jurors at the Old Bailey found the boy - now 16 - guilty by a majority verdict of 11 to one. A judge ordered he be detained for at least 15 years.

The killing, which was caught on graphic CCTV footage shown in court, took place in front of a group of young people.

One of them was pictured throwing the murder weapon - a folding lock knife - into a nearby drain, where it was later recovered by police.

Prosecutor Anthony Orchard QC told jurors none of those present had helped the police investigation.

The defendant claimed he had acted in self-defence out of fear 12 World gang member Ayub would attack him for refusing to deal drugs across county lines.

'Didn't stand a chance'

Judge Anuja Dhir QC, sentencing, told the boy she had no doubt he had "deliberately armed [himself] with a knife ready to use if and when you decided to do so".

"You were the aggressor. That was clear from your movements before, during and after the fatal stabbing.

"At one stage Ayub walked away from you but you followed him and you stabbed him once in the left side of the chest.

"In reality, Ayub Hassan did not stand a chance of surviving."

The court heard the defendant, who cannot be named due to his age, had been in trouble with police since he was 14.

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In January 2018 he was caught by an undercover police officer selling crack cocaine and heroin.

In a victim impact statement, Ayub's 11-year-old sister described her brother as her "best friend".

She said she had suffered from sleepless nights since his death.

Ayub Hassan died after being stabbed in Lanfrey Place, West Kensington

His mother, Siraad Aden, said he was "cherished dearly" by the whole family.

"Like a lot of young men growing up in west London, he had his problems and issues," she said.

"However, to me he was very kind, caring, loving, affectionate and absolutely devoted to his mother, brother and sister.

"The loss of Ayub had left my entire family heartbroken and shattered."