A savage killer who buried an ornamental sword in the heart of a former friend has been sentenced to 15 years for murder.

Homeless Srinavatheepan Srirangarajah, 27, was convicted of brutally slaying Pirapakaran Krishnasamy - known as Praba - at a Shell garage at the junction of Ilford Lane and Jersey Road, Ilford.

Praba, 22, of Elizabeth Court, Woodford Green, was with friends who had pulled into the service station on June 25, 2007, when he got into a drunken argument with Srirangarajah.

The killer called for his friends to bring the 40cm long blade to the forecourt, apparently incensed after previous arguments over the sister of Praba's girlfriend.

Srirangarajah stabbed his former friend through the chest with the weapon and left him for dead on the garage forecourt.

Police and London Ambulance Service were called just after midnight and Praba was taken to King George Hospital where he died from his wounds not long after.

Investigating officer Detective Inspector Joe Daly, from the Homicide and Serious Crime Command, said: "This was a horrendous and brutal attack on a young man in the prime of his live who had everything to live for.

"Praba and Srirangarajah had previously been friends, but in the weeks leading up to the attack they fell out - which culminated in the events of June 24, 2005, when Srirangarajah armed himself with a large sword-type weapon and violently stabbed Praba in the chest.

"This was a long and challenging investigation and Srirangarajah has rightly been brought to justice for his violent actions."

In October police named Srinavatheepan Srirangarajah as someone they wished to trace in connection with the murder and he was arrested at the Eurostar terminal in Waterloo on Thursday, December 7, following information from officers in Belgium.