AN innocent Catford student was knifed to death after being caught up in a Brixton gang dispute, the Old Bailey heard yesterday.

Kwame Ofosu-Asare, 17, was mercilessly attacked in broad daylight simply because he was "in the wrong place at the wrong time", jurors were told.

The Forest Hill School pupil was chased into a cul-de-sac before being stabbed 14 times in the back and left to die.

Nelson Idiabeta and Nathaniel Okusanya, members of the Trust No-one gang, were trying to take revenge on the rival Gas gang after one of their group was stabbed, the court heard.

On March 2 this year they took a taxi to Gas gang territory on the Moorlands Estate looking for a target and by chance came across Kwame in the street.

Prosecutor Crispin Aylett said: "Kwame was not a member of either gang.

"He was killed for no reason other than his murderers had come upon him on an estate they considered to be enemy territory and at a time when they were looking to take revenge for the stabbing of one of their own only hours earlier.

"His death was but a part of a poisonous and senseless feud between two rival gangs of youths in south London."

At that time Kwame happened to be walking through the estate with one of his friends.

The teenagers ran into a side street hoping to reach the safety of the friend's aunt's house, only to find she was not at home.

Kwame's friend managed to climb over a wall but Kwame was trapped in the cul-de-sac, the court heard.

Mr Aylett said: "He was attacked with a knife and his killers were as cowardly as they were merciless."

Neighbours came out and attempted to give first aid but Kwame bled to death at the scene.

Okusanya, aged 18, from Brixton, and Idiabeta, aged 19, from Camberwell, both deny murder.