A 17-year-old boy who stabbed a teenager to death during a street battle between 40 armed youths was jailed for at least 15 years today.

Ahmed Ahmed of Holbrook Road, Stratford plunged a knife into the chest of 18-year-old Thomas Overton on Sunday August 19 last year as two rival groups clashed at the end of a surprise 16th birthday party advertised on Facebook.

He then “swaggered” off as Thomas was stabbed another six times in the back and beaten with a metal pole by the rest of his gang.

Thomas ran back home to Beaumont Road, Leyton, before collapsing with a fatal wound to his heart in front of his family.

The brawl started after Thomas’ group tried to gatecrash the party at a house on Colchester Road, Leyton and were chased off by youths from Forest Gate and Stratford.

The accused, who was then only 16, denied murder claiming he acted in self defence but was convicted of murder after a trial at the Old Bailey.

Judge Charles Wide QC sentenced him to a minimum of 15 years before parole.

Judge Wide said: “You weren’t responding to a threat - the opposing group were running away. You ran after them with serious violence in mind.”

Ahmed also had a number of violence-related previous convictions.

Another youth who took part in the attack, Kondwani Phiri, 18, of Station Road, Forest Gate, was jailed for three-and-a-half years for violent disorder.

Phiri had also had previous convictions and was under a rehabilitation order for common assault at the time of the attack.

Luke Porter, 19, of Eastbourne Road, East Ham, and three 17-year-old boys who cannot be identified for legal reasons denied charges of violent disorder and were acquitted.