Three teenage gang members have been given life sentences for killing a 14-year-old boy stabbed in the heart with a sword.

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Grammys dinner honours Franklin ... Erhahon was murdered in an unprovoked attack by a 17-strong gang in Leytonstone, east London, last April, the Old Bailey was told.

Two of the teenagers were given minimum custodial terms of 13 years and one was given a minimum term of 11 years.

Two other teenagers convicted of manslaughter were also jailed.

One was given an eight year term and the other youth received an indeterminate sentence with a minimum of seven years.

The court heard Paul was killed by gang members, some aged as young as 13, who wanted to "earn their spurs" in the group.

Many wore hoods and masks and were armed with baseball bats, knives, swords and a bicycle chain when they carried out their attack.

Phone evidence

Paul was stabbed with a seven-inch sword after straying into their path near his Leytonstone home.

An Old Bailey jury heard how he cried out: "You can't be shanking [stabbing] me," as he was attacked.

Video recordings of news broadcasts about the murder were found on a mobile phone in the bedroom of one of the defendants.

Laughter and the words "bang bang" could be heard in the background.

Seven defendants, aged between 14 and 19, had denied murder, attempted murder and wounding with intent.

The sentencing took place on the same day as two other teenagers were given life sentences for murdering 16-year-old schoolboy Kodjo Yenga.

Families' 'torture'

Outside court after both sentences were passed, Det Supt Matthew Horne said: "Kodjo was killed with one stab wound and so was Paul.

"We have heard today that five children in each case have been convicted of the killing of both of these boys, totalling a minimum term of imprisonment of 100 years."

Det Supt Horne added: "If you go out on the streets with your friends and you know your friends are carrying a knife and you arm yourself as well then the courts are going to find you guilty as if you had inflicted that fatal blow.

"Think about that when you go out with your mates and one of you carries a knife, so we do not have the torture that two families have had to go through in these trials."

(BBC)

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