Alex Smith, 16, died in August 2019

TWO men tracked down in Kenya have begun life sentences after being jailed for murdering 16-year-old.

Alex Smith died after being attacked by a group of young men in Munster Square in 2019. Two other men have already been convicted but Siyad Mohamud and Tariq Monteiro fled the country soon after the killing.

The Met has been working with the National Crime Agency and the Kenyan authorities to bring them back to London to face a criminal court. The defendants returned to the UK last January after being arrested in Nairobi.

Siyad Mohamud and Tariq Monteiro were arrested and returned to the UK from Kenya in January 2022.

Detective Sergeant Martin Slattery said: “I want to thank Alex’s family for their patience as well as acknowledging the commitment of my colleagues in the Met and our partners in bringing these men to justice. I truly hope that these further convictions will enable Alex’s family and friends to draw some comfort from knowing that these men, responsible for killing Alex, will spend a considerable period of time in prison.”

He added: “Neither Mohamud nor Monteiro have shown any remorse throughout the trial and have offered no explanation as to why they committed such a heinous act.

“This investigation reinforces the Metropolitan Police’s commitment and determination to bring those responsible for serious violence on the streets of London to justice, no matter where they run to and hide.”

Siyad Mohamud

Tariq Monteiro

Mr Mohamud, 24, had been living Barker Drive, Camden Town, before flying to Africa, while Tariq Monteiro, 23, had been a resident in Fitzrovia. Both were found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey on last Wednesday and given their life sentences two days later.

Already in prison were Abdirahman Ibrahim, now 22, who was found guilty of murder and assisting an offender following a retrial at Inner London Crown Court on 29 March 2021. He was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 18 years.

Arif Biomy, also now 22, from Greenwich, was found guilty of murder and was sentenced in March 2020 to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 21 years.

The trial heard how Alex Smith was attacked and stabbed just on August 12 2019. He had been seen leaving a restaurant in Great Portland Street.

At the time he was in the company of others who associated with a Camden based street gang. This group was spotted by rival gang members, which included Mr Monteiro and Mr Mohamud. A short time later, this small group ran to an estate on the north side of Euston Road.

Just after 11pm, the two cars pulled up in Longford Street, where a number of men, including Mr Mohamud and Mr Monteiro ran into a block of flats. Alex and his friends were eventually spotted nearby and Alex was chased by three males into Munster Square, where he was stabbed to death.

The attackers made off in the two cars, leaving Alex for dead. Emergency services were called, but despite the best efforts of police officers, London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance, Alex was pronounced dead at the scene at 23:33hrs.

A post-mortem examination recorded that Alex had been stabbed at least twice, one of which was the fatal stab wound to his chest.