Judge urges knife law review as he jails teenage murderers

♦ Age restrictions on buying knives are “insufficient” and laws must be overhauled, a judge said yesterday as he jailed for life four teenagers who murdered a man with machetes and swords.

The masked youths – Tyriq Aboagye, 18, Kishon Allen, 19, Donald Gaote, 18 and Ralique Young, 17 – stabbed Mohammed Hassan, 17, to death near Clapham Junction station in south London. They carried weapons available online and in shops, including a 27in “ninja” sword.

At the Old Bailey, Judge Nicholas Cook asked: “What earthly use of a lawful nature could there be for such items?” He said current age restrictions were “insufficient”.