A DRUG DEALER sent an armed gang to attack a man who had accused him of supplying drugs to his schoolboy brother, the Old Bailey heard today.

Adnan Patel, 21, was surrounded by a gang of 12 men wielding sticks, bricks and knives, in Stewart Road, Leyton, on July 10 last year, before being stabbed twice in the chest.

His 14-year-old brother Imran cowered in Mr Patel's black Ford Focus car while the attack took place, jurors heard.

Mr Patel got into his car and tried to drive away, but crashed in nearby Downsell Road before dying in the street.

Mark Heywood, prosecuting, said: "There can be no justification, no-one will suggest that the shocking level of violence was morally or legally justifiable.

"But the original catalyst for the actions lies in drugs."

Mr Patel had earlier been summoned to Rokeby School, in Stratford, where the headteacher told him that his 14-year-old sibling had been found to be dealing cannabis and would have to be expelled.

After the school visit, Imran told Mr Patel that Clint D'Mello, of Ashlin Road, Stratford - a drug-dealer known locally as 'Slim' or 'Slims' - had supplied him with the drugs, the court heard.

Mr Patel and another brother Munawwar succeeded in tracking D'Mello down and confronted him about why he had given drugs to his younger brother, the Old Bailey heard.

D'Mello denied responsibility and ran away, said Mr Heywood.

Later in the day, a youth armed with a nail-studded baseball bat, who Mr Heywood said was sent by D'Mello, threatened Mr Patel in Chandos Road, Stratford, before Mr Patel drove away.

Mr Patel, Imran, Munawwar and two friends then decided to drive around to find D'Mello and "sort it out", said Mr Heywood.

They were armed with a baseball bat and golf club.

They were stopped at the junction of Stewart Road and Ellingham Road, where the fatal assault, described by Mr Heywood as an "unequal contest", took place.

Mr Patel was the second oldest of five brothers, and since his father died eight years ago had felt a "sense of responsibility" towards his younger brothers, the court heard.

D'Mello, 24, Akeel Shah, 24, of North Birkbeck Road, Leytonstone, Moheeb Khalid, 20, of Seventh Avenue, Manor Park, and Mohsin Akram, 19, of Bradymead, Beckton, deny murder and committing violent disorder.

The trial continues.