A FATHER whose son is in a coma after he was run over, shot and stabbed in a gang turf war, has described life in London as like a “jungle”.

Last week, two brothers were locked up for 35 years for the attempted murder of Johnson Ndjoli and his friend Mohammed Turay.

Dwight Callender, aged 23, of Mercator Road, Lewisham, and brother Derrell, aged 20, of Leybridge Court, Eltham, attacked the pair on April 24 in Sandford Street, New Cross.

Johnson, 19, cannot walk, talk or think and doctors do not expect him to survive.

His father Antoine Ndjoli, 49, who has now left Deptford’s Pepys estate where he lived due to fear of the other gang members, came to London in the 1980s as a refugee after fleeing violence in the Congo.

He said: “After all that background and what I’ve seen throughout my life, to see this sort of violence is just terrible. I would never have imagined this happening.

“When you turn to look for a reason you see there isn’t one - no proper reason why somebody should decide to take someone’s life.

“It’s like life is nothing to them, like it’s just playing.”

He added: “It was very difficult going to the trial. I was just a spectator watching and hearing these terrible things which were like something from the jungle.”

Mr Ndjoli says his son, described in the trial as an innocent victim, dreamt of being a footballer.

The father, who has five other children, has been visiting Johnson in hospital twice a day since the attack.

He said: “It’s so terrible to see someone who was very healthy and very fit in this condition - to see someone you love experience this cruelty.

“I’m trying to just hold on. I try to be strong and try not to let myself in any way be brought down by it. But it isn’t easy.”

The Callender brothers received 25-year sentences for trying to kill Mr Ndjoli and another 10 for Mr Turay.

Both brothers denied two counts of attempted murder, one count of causing GBH with intent and another of attempting to inflict GBH.

After being found guilty of attempted murder at the Old Bailey on November 30 the other charges were dropped.