A man has appeared in court over the murder of a 17-year-old boy who was stabbed in the neck.

Steven Braithwaite, 30, a labourer of no fixed abode, appeared at Sutton Magistrates' Court over the murder of Nilanthan Murddi.

He was arrested early on Tuesday at an address in Sydenham, south London after the teenager died from a single stab wound to the neck during an incident in Croydon last Saturday morning.

Braithwaite spoke only to confirm his name and to say he understood the charge. He was remanded in custody and the case was adjourned until November 27, when he will appear at the Central Criminal Court.

Nilanthan, who lived in the New Addington area of Croydon, had been studying for his A-levels but left school to help in the family business, where he worked as a waiter.

Paying tribute to him, his family said: "Every day, every second we will be thinking of him."

His sister Santhiya, 18, said his parents were "destroyed".

Nilanthan's death took the number of teenagers killed violently in London this year to 23.

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