A drug dealer and the friend he recruited to stab a rival over a stolen stash of drugs is facing years behind bars.

Mohammed Khan, 23, of Rectory Road, Manor Park, enlisted Curtis Barclay, 23, of Southwell Grove Road, Leytonstone, to knife Sean John in a terrifying attack in November 2015.

The pair were found guilty of wounding with intent at the Old Bailey today (Monday, March 6) after three days of jury deliberations, but were cleared of more serious attempted murder charges.

The court heard Khan and Barclay slashed tendons, nerves and arteries in Mr John's arms and legs, then boasted about the assault to a friend in a phone call.

The call was recovered by police because their friend was also the subject of an investigation.

Khan could be heard laughing as he said: “'We left him in the front room dying and that” adding: “I put 10 holes in him and Smalls [Barclay] put seven holes in”.

The dealer had lost the drugs he was carrying five days before the incident when he responded to a telephone order in Leytonstone.

Catherine Farrelly, prosecuting, told the court Khan responded to a telephone order for drugs then went to meet his customer in Bush Road.

Ms Farrelly said: “At the time, Mohammed Khan, operated as a drug dealer in Leytonstone.

“That day, having gone to that location, the planned drug deal went wrong – he had been set up and was robbed of the drugs that he had taken to the scene of the deal.

“Rightly or wrongly Mr Khan believed that a man called Sean John was responsible for the robbery.

“He decided to exact revenge and on November 15 he did so and enlisted the help of the second defendant, Curtis Barclay – also known as Smalls.

“There was a third individual involved but that person has never been identified by the police.

“Those three individuals went together to the address of a person called Rory Lee – a known associate of Sean John.”

Describing the attack at his home, Mr Lee told this court: “We were just watching telly and playing cards. The doorbell rang and I went to answer it – Mr John was sitting in the front room.

“The three people at the door barged into my flat. I saw one of them had a knife and I started to panic – it was about seven inches long.

“I ran upstairs and could hear shouting from below. Sean was saying: “Leave me alone!” and I shouted downstairs that I was calling the police.

“When I came back downstairs there was blood all over the place – on the walls, on the sofa. Sean was in a horrible state and I used toilet roll to bind his hands.”

Khan, also known as “Rico Asama”, was also convicted of affray during the robbery in Bush End Road and possession of criminal property after police found £4,190 of drug money in his home.

He also admitted possession with intent to supply drugs including heroin, cocaine and cannabis officers discovered in his car.

Khan and Barclay will both be sentenced on March 10.