Two teenagers have been jailed for killing an aspiring mechanic in a "shocking and cruel" attack inside a youth centre.

Glendon Spence, 23, and his friends sought refuge at the Marcus Lipton Youth Centre in Brixton when two hooded teenagers from Waltham Forest and Loughton ran at them armed with large knives.

Mr Spence tripped and fell by a table tennis table and was set upon by one of the youths in a "swift and merciless" attack in front of horrified staff and youngsters.

He suffered a stab wound to his thigh, severing the femoral artery, and was pronounced dead at the scene soon after the attack on the evening of February 21.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Glendon Spence, pictured,has been described by his family as "talented and much loved". Credit: Met Police

His attackers were driven off by an accomplice in a BMW, the Old Bailey heard.

Rishon Florant, 18, of Peterborough Road, Waltham Forest, who was accused of delivering the fatal wound, denied being involved.

But his co-accused, 18-year-old Chibuzo Ukonu, of Loughton, identified Florant as the stabber.

He told jurors he was also at the scene but had no intention to cause any harm to Mr Spence, let alone an intention to kill.

The jury deliberated for 21 hours to find Florant guilty of murder and Ukonu guilty of manslaughter last month.

The court heard how Florant had multiple previous convictions for carrying knives dating back to when he was aged 15.

Ukonu also had a conviction for carrying a 12-inch combat knife when he was aged 15.

Judge Mark Dennis QC said CCTV captured what was a "shocking and cruel attack and one which would have horrified or caused great alarm to anyone that witnessed it".

He jailed Florant for at least 18 years and handed Ukonu 14 years in a young offenders' institute.

Florant laughed and shouted up to friends in the public gallery as he was sent down.

Mr Spence's parents said: "The killing of our fantastic and much loved son Glendon has shattered us as a family. There is no comfort anywhere and it is hard to accept what has happened.

"Our son was talented and he was unable to fulfil his aspirations to be a mechanic, not through any fault of his own but because of the evil act of these two men.

"Glendon did not know the perpetrators and he had no association with them whatsoever.

"Society will not tolerate what his killers did and we hope these sentences will allow them to recognise the evil they inflicted upon him by stabbing him to death for no reason."