A 20-year-old man has been sentenced to life for the murder of a man outside Middlesex University.

Kevin Mao, from Tottenham, was found guilty at the Old Bailey yesterday of the fatal stabbing of 22-year-old Noor Hassan Barre outside the university’s student union in Hendon on October 31 last year.

He was sentenced to youth custody for life, with a minimum period of 26 years, at the Old Bailey today.

The court heard how Mao had been a member of an east London gang selling class A drugs since he was 15, operating out of Hackney.

He went to a party, held by Middlesex University’s African Caribbean Society, on October 31 last year with two other gang members.

Mao was carrying an eight inch knife hidden inside his boxer shorts.

A fight broke out at around 1am after Mao made a flirtatious comment to Mr Barre's female friend, and Mao was knocked to the floor.

Mao then stabbed Mr Barre in the chest, in full view of onlookers.

Mr Barre managed to run a few yards before he fell unconscious, and was rushed to St Mary's Hospital in a critical condition. He died shortly afterwards.

Three other people were arrested in connection with the incident.

Sodiq Adebayo, 22, from Ilford, who was charged with the murder, was found not guilty at court.

A 21-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man were also released with no further action.

Summing up today, Judge John Bevan told the court that Mao had demonstrated a “continuing unhealthiness” in his obsession with knifes.

He said: “It gives me no pleasure to have to sentence someone of your young age, 20-years-old, but this is a most unpleasant case.

“You carried your knife out of habit. There was no reason to take it to a party at a university campus in Hendon, way off your east London patch.

“One has to imagine the traumatic effect on a number of witnesses watching Noor Barre being killed in front of their noses.

“Stabbing in the chest is an intent to cause grievous bodily harm at the very highest level.”

Judge Bevan said Mr Barre had “no conception” of what he was up against, and that Mao had known he would win in any fight because he had two violent gang members with him and a weapon.

He said: “It is morally as well as legally repugnant. Anyone who takes you on will lose at the point of a knife. The idea of a fair fight is anathema. You are in my judgement a coward and his life was taken because of your notion you deserve respect.

“I watched carefully as you expressed your sadness but there were no tears. I detected no genuine emotion. You are a very dangerous young man and you have totally failed your parents. All you have brought is misery.

“It is not too late for you to change, but I hope fervently, and rather doubt, you will prove to do so.”