"Rahaan was murdered in cold blood"
A 16-year-old boy was murdered in cold blood as his killer was jailed for 15 years.
Rahaan Ahmed Amin was walking through West Ham Park, East London, when the 17-year-old masked assailant, plunged a knife into his chest.
He then hid the weapon in a nearby tree and fled on his bike.
Doctors tried to staple Rahaan’s heart together in the park but he died the following day in hospital on July 10, 2023.
Following the stabbing, a long red knife was found by police in the park and forensic testing recovered the teenager’s fingerprint and Rahaan’s blood.
Police also found a Snapchat photo the killer sent to a friend before the stabbing showing nine knives arranged on his bed – including the Ninja sword.
The sword was the same as a knife ordered online on June 12, 2023.
Officers then traced the transaction, along with two others.
The teenager, who cannot be named, bought the weapons from the online knife website DNA Leisure using the name and passport of a friend’s father.
Police said that when the father was questioned about the transactions, he did not know about them.
The last of the three knife orders had a delivery address the same as the teenage killer.
Two days after Rahaan’s death, the teenager was arrested on suspicion of murder and was charged on July 13.
Jurors were told that the killing came amid tensions between the defendant and the victim’s groups of friends.
When one of the defendant’s friends was stabbed, Rahaan had been arrested on suspicion of involvement.
Snapchat messages suggested the defendant and his friends wanted to harm Rahaan in retaliation, the court was told.
After a five-week trial at the Old Bailey, the 17-year-old male was found guilty of murder.
On October 9, 2024, he was sentenced to life imprisonment and will serve a minimum of 15 years.
Detective Chief Inspector Kelly Allen, the lead investigator from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said:
“The defendant’s claim that he acted in self-defence was completely rejected by the jury.”
“Rahaan was murdered in cold blood after the 17-year-old cycled up to him and stabbed him within seconds of arriving, giving him no opportunity to react.
“This case demonstrates how easy it is for young people to purchase deadly knives online.
“I would urge all parents to be aware of their child’s online activity and what purchases they are making.
“It is also important for parents to keep their ID documents secure to ensure they are not misused by their children.”
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