A man has been jailed for the murder of a 20-year-old man in a Newham park after a six-year investigation by Met homicide detectives.
Javid Ahmadzai, 28 (04.05.95) was found guilty of murder and violent disorder on Tuesday, 1 August after a trial at the Old Bailey.
On Thursday, 10 August he was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder – to serve a minimum of 24 years.
A sentence of three years for violence disorder will run concurrently.
The court heard Ahmadzai attacked Moosakhan Naseri in Plashet Park, East Ham, on 15 October 2017 because he believed he owed £10 for some drugs.
Moosakhan suffered a stab wound to his chest that proved to be fatal, despite the efforts of emergency services and an off-duty doctor who attempted open-heart surgery at the scene.
Ahmadzai fled the country shortly after the attack but was extradited back to the UK on 21 June last year after he was arrested in France.
Homicide detectives linked Ahmadzai to the murder via phone records that placed him at the scene and statement from eye-witnesses.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers, the lead investigator, said: “Moosakhan, who was only 29 years old, was killed due to an argument about an alleged £10 drug debt.
“The level of violence used was shocking to the members of the public in the park that day and I commend all those who have helped our investigation.
“It is tragic that Moosakhan, an Afghan national, had come to the UK looking for a safer life after fleeing the Taliban in his home country.”
