Homeless men responsible for a presumed revenge killing have been found guilty of hacking a man to death with garden sheers.

On the evening of November 11, 2017 Sandel Serbu was at a friend's house socialising and playing video games.

At around 12.30am the 36-year-old decided to visit a nightclub in High Road, Ilford with a couple who had also been at the house.

He and the couple decided to go home via a shop in the High Road to buy whiskey, cigarettes and top-up his mobile phone.

As he left the car, Mr Serbu was approached by a group of men who were armed with weapons including pick axe handles and garden shears.

The group attacked the Romanian national, repeatedly hitting him in the head with their weapons.

 

The pick-axe used to kill Sandel Serdu.

The couple attempted to intervene but were threatened by the attackers.

An ambulance driving past saw the victim being attacked and activated the siren and blue lights and eventually the suspects fled on foot and in a black BMW.

 

The shears.

The paramedics tried to save Mr Serbu and transported him to a hospital, but he died.

Following a media appeal the owner of the black BMW Ionut Vasile, of South Park Road, Ilford was arrested.

Razvan Vladescu, 27, of no fixed abode, handed himself in before officers executed a warrant on an address in Oldham, where Araman-Nardi Stoica, 25, (below) also of no fixed abode, was arrested.

 

The court heard that a possible motivation for the brutal attack was revenge for a fight that took place two months earlier.

The men were found guilty at the Old Bailey yesterday.

 

Razvan Vladescu

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Considine said: “Sandel was popping into a shop when he was ambushed by a group of men armed with weapons who brutally beat him to death.

"Sandel was defenceless and had no way to protect himself. He managed to momentarily escape but soon fell to the ground and was once again savagely attacked.

"His attackers then left him dying in the street as they casually walked off.

“This was a complex and rigorous investigation.

"I would especially like to thank the members of public who came to us with vital information about the incident as well as the two LAS paramedics who bravely intervened by trying to stop the attack and save Sandel’s life.

“Sandel’s family have been left devastated by his death, but I hope today’s conviction gives them a small measure of comfort and closure.”

The three men will be sentenced on February 15.