A man has been convicted of murdering 18-year-old Ghulam Sadiq in Leytonstone.
Emadh Miah, 18, of Solihull Road, West Midlands, appeared at the Old Bailey on Tuesday (April 4) having earlier pleaded guilty to possessing of an offensive weapon.
He will be sentenced on a date to be confirmed.
Ghulam Sadiq was fatally stabbed in the back by Miah, who had set out on August 6 with a 15cm long machete hidden in his trousers.
The court heard Miah, then 17, waited for Mr Sadiq outside his family home in Leytonstone wearing a Covid mask with his hood pulled up tightly around his face and surgical gloves on his hands.
DCI Linda Bradley of the Met's Specialist Crime said: "This is one of those rare cases where we have never been able to conclusively establish a motive for the crime.
"Miah tried to claim diminished responsibility, but the careful planning that went into buying weapons and his actions throughout the day of the fatal attack meant the jury were able to see through his deceit.
"Ghulam’s family have now seen the man responsible for his death brought to justice, but I know that their anguish and loss will be with them forever and our thoughts remain with them.
"The team worked quickly to identify and arrest Miah and to uncover the attempts he had made to purchase the weapons he used in the attack. I cannot help but reflect that large knives and machetes being sold online is open to abuse and lamentably continues to be a risk to the public."
The court heard how Miah had tried to use false ID to buy knives prior to the crime.
On July 23 he attempted to buy a 15 inch Rambo-style knife from a website but the vendor realised the identity document was false and the order was rejected.
Undeterred, the following day he placed an order with another website for two knives advertised as a ‘Fantasy Spartan Sword blackout version serrated-bade two piece set’.
The order was accepted and the knives were shipped to the defendant’s address in Solihull.
The knives could not be delivered and were left at the local post office.
Scotland Yard said there is no record to show that the knives were collected, but the knives that Miah bought "bear a striking resemblance" to the knife he used to stab Mr Sadiq.
Miah travelled from Birmingham to London August 4.
He took a train to Stratford where he hired a bike and then made his way to Leytonstone, where he was seen cycling around by a number of witnesses.
He made his way to the street where Mr Sadiq lived and he waited.
Mr Sadiq cycled off but when he returned a short while later Miah ran after him and stabbed him in the back before he cycled off .
Mr Sadiq managed to run to a restaurant in the High Road, Leytonstone where members of the public gave him first aid before emergency services arrived just after 2.15pm.
He was pronouced dead at 2.39pm.
A post mortem examination on August 9 found the cause of death was sharp force trauma to the back, consistent with a bladed tool such as a knife.
The wound was nearly 15cm in depth and had pierced Mr Sadiq's heart.
At court he admitted manslaughter but pleaded not guilty to murder.
The jury found him guilty of murder.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here