'£15 row' killer youth sentenced

Bradley Walters-Stewart had threatened to shoot Michael

A 16-year-old has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of murder for stabbing a youth of 17 in a row over an unpaid debt of £15.

Michael Simon Wright, of Leyton, east London, was stabbed in the stomach when he confronted Bradley Walters-Stewart near Maryland station in February.

Walters-Stewart, of Stratford, had denied murder and was ordered to serve a minimum of 14 years.

Mr Justice Cooke said Walters-Stewart killed Michael as he felt "dissed".

When you met in the street you inflicted a fatal wound on a 17-year-old young man who until then had been a friend of yours who was unarmed and in your view had 'dissed' you Mr Justice Cooke

Walters-Stewart, of Forest Lane, was also convicted at the Old Bailey of possessing an offensive weapon. The judge lifted reporting restrictions from naming the youth.

Mr Justice Cooke said: "When you met in the street you inflicted a fatal wound on a 17-year-old young man who, until then, had been a friend of yours, who was unarmed and in your view had 'dissed' you - shown you disrespect.

"Despite claiming that this was an accident, you have shown not the slightest remorse for what you have done - the premeditated murder of an unarmed man who had dared to cross you over an unpaid debt."

In a victim impact statement, Michael's mother Florence Wright told how the family had moved from Sierra Leone, where Michael was born, to escape the civil war.

"I wanted a better life for my children.

"Michael was a nice-looking boy, a brilliant student. He had a bright future ahead of him. When I remember him I always shed tears," she said.

Michael had asked the boy to repay the £15 he borrowed

During the trial, Sallie Bennett-Jenkins QC, for the prosecution, told the court Michael had twice approached the killer about the unpaid £15 after lending him some money to get into a club.

In a phone call arranging to meet outside the station, Walters-Stewart had threatened to shoot Michael but he did not take the threat seriously, the court heard.

Following the row when the killer produced a knife, Michael backed away saying "don't shank me" (don't stab me) to the youth.

Michael was stabbed in his left side.

After the attack, Walters-Stewart was said to have "calmly and casually" walked home as Michael collapsed on the road.