Homeless men responsible for a revenge killing have been jailed after hacking a man to death with garden sheers.

On the evening of November 11, 2017 Sandel Serbu was at a friend's house socialising and playing video games.

At around 12.30am the 36-year-old decided to visit a nightclub in High Road, Ilford with a couple who had also been at the house.

He and the couple decided to go home via a shop in the High Road to buy whiskey, cigarettes and top-up his mobile phone.

As he left the car, Mr Serbu, who had lived in Barking, was approached by a group of men who were armed with weapons including pick axe handles and garden shears.

The group attacked the Romanian national, repeatedly hitting him in the head with their weapons.

The couple attempted to intervene but were threatened by the attackers.

An ambulance driving past saw the victim being attacked and activated the siren and blue lights and eventually the suspects fled on foot and in a black BMW.

The paramedics tried to save Mr Serbu and transported him to a hospital, but he died.

Following a media appeal the owner of the black BMW Ionut Vasile, of South Park Road, Ilford was arrested.

Razvan Vladescu, 27, of no fixed abode, handed himself in before officers executed a warrant on an address in Oldham, where Araman-Nardi Stoica, 25, also of no fixed abode, was arrested.

Florin Ivan, 31, of Bowman Avenue was found not guilty of manslaughter and Ionut Bogdan Cucu, 25, was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter.

The court heard that a possible motivation for the brutal attack was revenge for a fight that took place two months earlier.

The men were sentenced at the Old Bailey today.

Vladescu was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 26 years for murder, and 18 months' imprisonment for possession of an offensive weapon, to run concurrently.

Stoica was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 23 years for murder, and 18 months' imprisonment for possession of an offensive weapon, to run concurrently.

Vasile was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for manslaughter.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Considine who led the investigation said: "Sandel was popping into a shop when he was ambushed by a group of men armed with weapons who brutally beat him to death. Sandel was defenceless and had no way to protect himself. He managed to momentarily escape but soon fell to the ground and was once again savagely attacked. His attackers then left him dying in the street as they casually walked off.

"This was a complex and rigorous investigation. I would especially like to thank the members of public who came to us with vital information about the incident as well as the two LAS paramedics who bravely intervened by trying to stop the attack and save Sandel’s life.

"Sandel’s family have been left devastated by his death, but I hope today’s sentencing gives them a small measure of comfort and closure."