Teen 'killed over drug debt'

A row over a £15 drug debt led to a teenager being beaten and stabbed to death by a gang of youths in a street battle, the Old Bailey heard today.

Karl Hamilton, 17, died from multiple stab wounds after he was surrounded, kicked in the head, beaten and stabbed repeatedly, Christopher Kinch QC told the jury.

"It was a wasteful and senseless loss of life following a street confrontation between two groups of young men," he said.

Mr Kinch alleged that Mohammed Miah, 19, from Bethnal Green, east London - known as Hitler - and a 17-year-old youth who cannot be named because of his age were part of the gang who attacked Karl.

They have denied murdering him on January 10 this year.

"The attack on him was a joint enterprise. The nature and ferocity of the attack was that anyone joining in, knowing knives were likely to be used, would be guilty of murder," said Mr Kinch.

Karl, a catering assistant at the Royal London Hospital, had spent his early evening playing pool with friends. He was with about six people when they came across another group.

Among them was the 17-year-old youth. There was bad feeling between him and another youth in Karl's group over a debt of £15.

Mr Kinch said the youth in Karl's group had bought some cannabis from the 17-year-old and had not paid for it - resulting in the 17-year-old punching the debtor in the face.

Later, Karl's group returned to the scene. Karl had a hockey stick and the punched youth a baseball bat, said Mr Kinch.

"Whatever they intended cannot justify the response and what was inflicted on Karl Hamilton. When his group saw the other group were armed with blades, they ran away, but he fell and was surrounded.

"He received nine stab wounds. He had also received a beating which went beyond those fatal wound