Two teenagers have been sentenced to life in jail after they were found guilty of killing a 16-year-old boy who they mistook for a rival gang member.
Vanushan Balakrishnan and Ilyas Suleiman, now both 18, stabbed Rishmeet Singh 15 times in November 2021 after chasing him down a road in Southall, west London.
Balakrishnan was sentenced to serve a minimum of 24 years.
Suleiman was told he must serve 21 years, with both having their jail time reduced for the time they have already been in custody.
They were found guilty in March at the Old Bailey.
Rishmeet had tripped and fallen when Balakrishnan and Suleiman attacked him.
The brutal attack was over in 27 seconds and the teenager’s body was left on the ground as the two fled.
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The 16-year-old died at the scene. It was determined he was a victim of mistaken identity.
Balakrishnan was also sentenced after he pleaded guilty to a charge of grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to an attack on an inmate while on remand. The attack, which happened last July, left the victim with severe brain damage.
Rishmeet was described by the judge as “an entirely innocent victim” who came to the UK with his mother and grandmother in 2019.
They fled Afghanistan after the Taliban killed Rishmeet’s father and attempted to kidnap the young teenager.
Rishmeet was a carer for his mother, who has polio, and his family relied on him for English translation.
“All who knew Rismeet spoke very fondly of him,” Judge Sarah Munro said.
“It defies belief that you two sought him out to kill him.”
He was described by friends as “a good person who would not harm a fly”, “pure in heart” and “a humble guy”.
He was attending college and hoped to become a police officer.
His mother Gulinder said: “Rishmeet was my only child, and he had his whole life ahead of him.
“I feel I have lost everything and my life is over.
“Rishmeet was well loved by all that knew him, he was a faithful boy and was very caring in his nature.
“I will never recover from this evil act. I have lost my husband and now I have lost my only child, my son. Justice is finally served for Rishmeet but their sentence will never be enough for me.
“They have taken my whole life away from me and Rishmeet will never come home again.”
Judge Sarah Munro also set out the brutal details of Balakrishnan and Suleiman’s actions before and after the murder.
The two were forced into Class A drug dealing after racking up debts to gang leaders.
Balakrishnan had a previous conviction for possessing a Rambo knife, for which he was given a referral order in February 2021.
On the night of the murder, the pair took two blades, a “terrifying” three-foot long machete and a Rambo knife bought online days before, and travelled on bikes to a rival gang’s territory.
They wore Covid masks and put their hoods up to hide their identities.
The court was told they had deliberately set out for a “glide” – an attack on enemy gang territory.
Mistaking Rishmeet and his friends as members of the rival gang, Balakrishnan and Suleiman chased them through a park and “ferociously attacked” Rishmeet after he tripped and fell.
Police and medics were alerted by a member of the public and Rishmeet died at the scene.
He had suffered “unsurvivable” stab wounds to his head and chest.
The attackers were captured on CCTV fleeing and were identified by their clothes.
After they fled, the two gang members, from Hillingdon, west London, changed their clothes at a gang safe house and returned to their homes by taxi.
Balakrishnan took a photograph of the blood-stained murder weapon after the attack and posted it on social media.
Police also recovered a notebook following his arrest containing drill rap lyrics glorifying the murder.
