A TEENAGE murderer has been jailed for life and will serve a minimum of 20 years.

Tajwar Alam, 19, of Seaford Road, Tottenham, London, killed Hassan Mohammed Ibrahim, 26, of Camberwell, London, with two stabs to the back in York Road on July 7 last year.

Mr Ibrahim was airlifted to hospital but died the following day from his injuries.

Alam was found guilty of murder by a jury at Chelmsford Crown Court in May and was today back in the same court to be sentenced by judge Charles Gratwicke, honorary recorder of Chelmsford.

Five other men were originally charged with the murder of Mr Ibrahim, including his 18-year-old brother Tahmid, and appeared in the dock with Alam when the trial began in April.

However, a month into the trial the five were acquitted as the judge ruled the prosecution’s evidence was not strong enough and the defendants had no case to answer.

DCI Simon Werrett, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: "The judge described him as a callous young man with a tendency to violence.

"The sentence handed down today will ensure the people of Southend are safe from Alam and hopefully give Hassan’s family some closure so they can move on with their lives, although nothing will bring their son back.”