A teenager has been sentenced to more than 17 years in jail for the "tragic" murder of Shanur Ahmed.

Ignas Stauryla, of Shackleton Way, Beckton was found guilty of murdering Shanur, whose body was discovered on wasteland near Gallions Reach DLR station on March 3 last year.

The 18-year-old was also found guilty of possession of an offensive weapon and pleaded guilty to two counts of affray and one count of actual bodily harm (ABH).

He was sentenced at the Old Bailey today (July 2) to 17 years and six months in prison.

Newham Recorder: Shanur Ahmed. Picture: MPSShanur Ahmed. Picture: MPS (Image: Archant)

Det Ch Insp Laurence Smith, who led the investigation, said: "Shanur was just 16 and had his whole life ahead of him when it was cruelly taken away by another teenager in an act of needless violence.

"[An] ongoing dispute between two groups culminated in this tragic outcome which has left another family grieving and with a hole in their lives that they will never fill."

Five other men were also sentenced for their roles in violence leading up to and linked to the murder.

Newham Recorder: Sadiq Abubakar.Sadiq Abubakar. (Image: MPS)

Sadiq Abubakar, 18, and Yusuf Janneh, 19, also of Shackleton Way, were sentenced to 15 months each after pleading guilty to two counts of affray and one count of ABH.

Newham Recorder: Yusuf Janneh.Yusuf Janneh. (Image: MPS)

Nick Janarauskas, 18, of Magellan Boulevard, Beckton, was sentenced to 12 months after pleading guilty to two counts of affray and one count of ABH.

Newham Recorder: Nick Janarauskas.Nick Janarauskas. (Image: MPS)

Ibrahim Khamis, 19, of Plymouth Road, Canning Town, was sentenced to 14 months after pleading guilty to two counts of affray and one count of ABH.

Newham Recorder: Ibrahim Khamis.Ibrahim Khamis. (Image: MPS)

Michael Mendes, 19, of Pacific Road, Canning Town was sentenced to 11 months after pleading guilty to one count of affray and one count of ABH.

Newham Recorder: Michael Mendes.Michael Mendes. (Image: MPS)

Early in their investigation, detectives linked Shanur's murder to a previous attack involving two rival groups of teenagers.

Stauryla and the five other men sentenced were captured on CCTV carrying out a violent assault on a 17-year-old at a bus stop in Prince Regent Lane at 4.55pm on March 3.

The victim needed stitches to his head after being hit by a weapon wielded by a member of the group.

At about 7.40pm the same day the same two groups were seen by a bus driver travelling near Gallions Reach DLR station.

Footage from the bus’s external cameras showed the six defendants chasing another group of teenagers, including Shanur.

Although the attack was not caught on CCTV, it showed Stauryla chasing Shanur and the two of them heading to where his body was found.

CCTV captured the defendants walking away from the area with Stauryla appearing to demonstrate to his mates how he carried out the murder.

Footage also showed Stauryla carrying some kind of weapon as he chased Shanur.

In a police interview, Khamis told officers it was a saddle taken from a nearby bike.

Officers found the saddle during a search of the wasteland. It is believed to have been used in the fatal attack.

Newham Recorder: Shanur's body was found in scrubland near the station. Picture: Jon KingShanur's body was found in scrubland near the station. Picture: Jon King (Image: Archant)

Shanur was found after a train driver pulling out of Gallions Reach DLR station spotted what he thought looked like a body on nearby wasteland.

He was later identified as Shanur, who had been reported missing by his father the previous evening after failing to return home.

A post-mortem examination revealed the cause of death as a head injury caused by blunt force trauma.