Chadwell Heath bus attack: Teen stabbed as revenge for drill track - court

A 16-year-old boy was murdered on a bus home from school as "revenge" for posting a mocking drill music track online, a court has heard.

Tyler Hurley died in hospital after he was stabbed while travelling on the Route 173 bus in Chadwell Heath, east London, on 14 March.

Carlton Tanueh is accused of attacking him with a 68cm (26in) long "zombie knife" after Tyler "taunted" his associates with drill track lyrics.

The 19-year-old denies murder.

Year 11 pupil Tyler was stabbed 20 minutes after he left Warren School in Whalebone Lane North, the jury heard.

CCTV footage played to Southwark Crown Court captured an attack taking place in front of passengers, including parents with prams.

Prosecutor Caroline Carberry KC told jurors it showed the "fear" on Tyler's face as the "unarmed and totally vulnerable" teenager suffered "unsurvivable" injuries.

He was taken to hospital but died in the early hours of the following day.

The court heard how three weeks earlier, Tyler had "caused upset to some very dangerous young men" by uploading a drill music track to YouTube.

Ms Carberry said the lyrics mocked, "in pretty vile terms", Mr Tanueh's associates, in particular one member of the group who was injured in a stabbing.

After an unsuccessful armed attack one week later, Tyler had "taunted the group" when he managed to escape unhurt, she told jurors.

"He was murdered, the prosecution say, in cold blood, intentionally and without emotion by this defendant," she said.

The court was told how Mr Tanueh, who was "out of his own area" and "looking for trouble", had armed himself with two "zombie knives".

Ms Carberry described the defendant's behaviour as "an act of rage" and "revenge".

"Tyler Hurley's young life was deliberately - brutally - cut short because of petty grievances, because this defendant chose to arm himself with a deadly knife and because he chose to attack Tyler Hurley with it in the middle of a Monday afternoon as he made his way home from school," she added.

The prosecutor said he thrust the knife twice at Tyler's body, inflicting a fatal wound through his arm and armpit which penetrated more than 24cm (9in) into his chest.

Mr Tanueh, of no fixed address, denies murder but has admitted two counts of having a knife in a public place.

The trial continues.

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