Murder gang caught on CCTV

Three gang members were jailed for life for the shocking murder of a teenager whose horrific attack was caught on CCTV.

The last moments of Mahir Osman, 18, were captured on cameras in Camden, north London, and shown to jurors at the Old Bailey trial of those who killed him.

Judge Stephen Kramer said the brutal killing was an example of the gang culture that was "all too prevalent" on the streets of London.

The victim's father Abdi Rahman described how his son came from a "religious, loving and caring" family.

A gang of up to 30 attackers took just 19 seconds to kick, beat and fatally stab Mr Osman near Camden tube station in January last year.

During the trial jurors watched the video footage in silence as youths carrying wooden bats, bottles, hammers and knives set upon Mr Osman.

The judge said: "The attack was an example of the gang culture which is all too prevalent in the streets of London."

He said it was a culture that created "senseless violence" which terrified members of the public who were forced to witness "simply because they are innocently and lawfully out and about".

Eight defendants were convicted of various offences, three of them of murder.

© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.