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

Vladimir Nachev, 18, stabbed Hakim Sillah twice with a 25cm long “Rambo” style knife at the youth offending service in Hillingdon on 7 November 2019.

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

On Monday, following a three-week trial at Isleworth Crown Court, Nachev was found guilty of murder and one count of wounding with intent for an attack against another teenager during the same incident.

He will be sentenced on 7 September.

Nachev and Sillah had both been taking part in a course run the Youth Offending Teams at Hillingdon Civic Centre.

Nachev had previously been sentenced for possession of a knife and had been released from custody five months before the attack.

He claimed he attacked Sillah in self defence and had intended to stab him in his arm not his chest.

The court heard that Nachev had previously attacked Sillah with a knife and had sent him threatening messages.

And shortly after he fatally stabbed Sillah, Nachev sent a message to a friend that suggested he carried out the other knife attack.

“I’m going jail…I cheffed [stabbed] up hakz again inside yot,” Nachev wrote.

Sillah had not identified Nachev as being responsible for stabbing him in September 2019, telling police he was attacked from behind.

DCI Vicky Tunstall, of the Met’s specialist crime command, said: “This case demonstrates the challenges the police and probation services have in deterring young people away from knife crime. Despite this being a ‘knife crime awareness’ course, both Nachev and Hakim turned up with a concealed weapon.

“The search history on Nachev’s mobile phone, shortly before the fatal stabbing, demonstrates that he was a highly dangerous individual, who was intent on carrying out a violent attack. 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 Sillah’s mother Saranba and the rest of his family read: “Hakim was stolen from us in an unprovoked, brutal, malicious and cowardly attack. The murder of Hakim has torn apart the very fabric of our family. In addition, this senseless attack on Hakim is a painful reminder of the knife-crime epidemic that continues to ravage our society and bring untold sadness and suffering to many families. This a reminder that the betterment of a society is not a duty to be left to some, but a responsibility to be shared by all.

“Hakim is my son, my friend, and confidant. I will forever continue to live his legacy.”