He brought a machete to the meeting: Only one walked away

A teenage killer who butchered 17-year-old Nathan Bawuah in a shocking machete attack on a Hackney street has been caged for 12 years.

Rio Lue, 18, of Pembury Road, Hackney, was handed the sentence on Friday, 2 May at Wood Green Crown Court after a gripping investigation by the Met Police exposed the horrifying details of the fatal assault.

Nathan was stabbed in the chest with a large machete during a violent confrontation that unfolded in seconds but ended in tragedy.

The savage assault took place just before 11pm on Saturday, 17 February 2024, on Hackney Road, E2.

Emergency services raced to the scene, but despite desperate attempts to save him, Nathan died from the catastrophic wound.

“Nathan Bawuah was killed in a brutal, cold-blooded assault,” said Detective Sergeant Dean Musgrove, who led the investigation. “Our thoughts remain with Nathan’s loved ones, and we are relieved to see Lue behind bars where he belongs.”

Lue had tried to evade justice by staying silent during police interviews, answering “no comment” to every question, while offering a written statement claiming he acted in self-defence.

However, forensic evidence and CCTV analysis told a different story. Detectives proved that Lue cycled to the scene armed with a deadly weapon, confronted Nathan, and carried out the savage attack.

He was found guilty of manslaughter in November 2024 at Snaresbrook Crown Court, after earlier admitting to possession of an offensive weapon.

The case has once again thrown a spotlight on the rising tide of knife crime among London youth, leaving families shattered and communities reeling.