A TEENAGER who fatally stabbed an 18-year-old at a knife awareness course in Hillingdon has been convicted of murder.

Vladimir Nachev, 18, of West End Lane, Harlington, was convicted by a jury after a three-week trial at Isleworth Crown Court.

He was also found guilty of wounding with intent against another teenager during the same incident. Nachev will be sentenced on September 7.

The court heard that police were called to the youth offending service in Hillingdon Civic Centre in November after 18-year-old Hakim Sillah was stabbed twice in the chest.

He was given emergency treatment at the scene by paramedics but died in hospital that day.

Nachev left the scene immediately after the attack and hid the 25cm-long ‘Rambo’ style knife in woodland near his home. He was arrested shortly afterwards.

Nachev claimed he had attacked Hakim in self-defence and had intended to stab him in his arm rather than the chest.

However, the court heard that Nachev had previously attacked Hakim with a knife and had sent him abusive messages.

In May, Hakim told his family he had been punched by Nachev after they got into a fight over a girl.

In September, Nachev sent a video from his phone which showed him threatening Hakim with a knife.

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Two weeks later, Hakim was attacked in a subway in Harlington. He was stabbed in the arm and suffered an injury that required surgery.

Hakim told police he was attacked from behind and could not provide a description of the suspect.

Analysis of Nachev’s mobile phone revealed he had sent a message to a friend, shortly after Hakim was fatally stabbed, implying he had been the one who carried out the previous attack.

Nachev wrote: “I’m going jail”, “I cheffed (stabbed) up hakz again inside yot.”

Nachev, who had been released from custody five months earlier after serving a sentence for possession of a knife and supply of class A drugs, was charged with murder on November 8 and was remanded in custody until his trial.

Det Chief Insp Vicky Tunstall said: “Hakim’s death is another tragic example of a young life lost at the hands of another young man, over a seemingly trivial matter.

A statement from Hakim Sillah's mother Saranba Sillah and the rest of his family read: "[It] has torn apart the very fabric of our family. In addition, this senseless attack is a painful reminder of the knife-crime epidemic that continues to ravage our society and bring untold sadness and suffering to many families.”