A teenager from Ilford was one of five young people sentenced for violently stabbing a father-of-three to death in a case of mistaken identity.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was jailed for 17 years at the Old Bailey, today (Monday, October 15) for murdering Daniel Frederick.

The court heard that police were called to reports of a man assaulted outside Burns House in Shakspeare Walk, north London on January 8.

Officers attended and found 34-year-old, who lived locally, suffering from stab injuries.

He was taken to an east London hospital by the London Ambulance Service where he died at 11.47pm..

A post-mortem examination took place at Poplar Mortuary and gave cause of death as a stab wound to his left lung.

Daniel had seven stab wounds in total and no defence injuries.

The victim had no gang affiliations and had spent the day at the hospital with his pregnant partner.

He returned home shortly before 5.30pm and arranged to meet a friend who lived nearby to play computer games.

Daniel left his house and was waiting for his friend in Shakspeare Walk when a group of five males with hoods and face coverings deliberatly attacked him from behind with knives.

The teens surrounded the father and repeatedly kicked, punched and stabbed him.

After being confronted by a member of the public they fled the scene, leaving Daniel to die in the street.

The member of public then banged on the window of a nearby flat for help.

The attack took place in a busy area, in front of children, and lasted for just a few seconds.

When the defendants ran off they discarded several items including knives and clothing.

The Ilford teen, and Kacper Karasinski, 18, of Mount Pleasant Lane, Hackney, were unanimously found guilty of the murder on Tuesday, September 4, following a trial.

Karasinski today was sentenced to 20 years in jail.

Yigiter Gok, 18, of Sanford Walk and a 17-year-old male from Hackney were both found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter by a majority jury of 11 to one.

They were sentenced to nine years and eight years imprisonment respectively.

A 16-year-old male from Hackney who had pleaded guilty to murder prior to the trial was sentenced to 10 years.

Detectives carried out a number of enquiries to trace Daniel’s murderers, including reviewing the area’s CCTV, analysing mobile phone data and forensic work.

DNA recovered from the murder scene matched that of the Ilford teen and Karasinski.

Four of the teenagers left London after news of the murder was made public, but all the suspects were eventually located, arrested and charged.

Mobile phone enquiries revealed a significant amount of contact between the five defendants prior to the murder but after the incident, all of the teenagers abandoned and changed their numbers.

Det Insp Paul Considine, the senior investigating officer from the Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: “This was a ruthless, violent and unprovoked attack in which Daniel stood no chance.

“He was completely taken by surprise by his attackers who cowardly stabbed him in the back giving him no opportunity to defend himself.

“All five defendants disguised and armed themselves and willingly carried out a brutal attack on Daniel knowing it was likely there would only be one outcome, the infliction of very serious injuries or death.”

“This was a complex investigation made more difficult as Daniel was mistakenly targeted by his attackers. My team diligently pieced together the evidence and then located, arrested and charged all those responsible for his death.

“I hope that today’s result provides Daniel’s family with a small measure of comfort and closure.”