A teenager has been convicted of murder after a boy was stabbed to death while waiting for a bus.

The 17-year-old boy from Newham, who cannot be named due to reporting restrictions, stabbed Renell Charles, 16, on May 5 last year.

He was found guilty of murder and possession of a bladed article at Snaresbrook Crown Court on February 2.

Renell was waiting for a bus at Markhouse Road in Walthamstow with his friends at 4pm, when he was approached by the defendant who jumped out of a taxi after spotting him.

The two had a verbal fight before Renell tried to run away, but the defendant chased him ands tabbed him twice – the second time as Renell was on the ground defenceless.

While Renell got up, he collapsed near the area and despite medical assistance from emergency services he died a short time later.

The 17-year-old tried to avoid being caught by police by changing his clothes and swapping his SIM cards.

On the night of the murder, instead of returning to his Newham home, he stayed in Clapton, so he wasn’t at home when police turned up at his doors on May 6.

Then a few days later on May 8, he went to Forest Gate police station and claimed to be confused why police went to his home. He was arrested on suspicion of murder and charged later that day.

After initially providing a “no comment” interview, he later claimed that he was in fear of the victim and had simply acted in self-defence.

The teenager will be sentenced on March 14.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers said: “My thoughts today are with Renell’s family and loved ones. Nothing will ease their pain, but I hope it is of some comfort to them that his killer has been brought to justice.

“The defendant – just a child himself - subjected Renell to a brutal attack over a minor dispute on a busy road in view of countless witnesses.

"This is yet another example of a willingness by some to carry and use knives to resolve issues with seemingly no care or thought for the consequences.

“Such senseless acts of violence will never cease to shock us all, and in this case made all the more tragic given Renell was so young.

"The defendant’s attempt to justify his actions as an act of self-defence were contradicted by both CCTV and witnesses, both of which confirmed that he chased Renell before stabbing him. I thank the jury for rightly seeing through his lies.”