A man jailed for life for murdering a teenager while wearing a “scary” skull mask has been accused of “cowardice” by a judge after failing to attend his sentencing hearing.

Timothy Adeoye, 20, stabbed 18-year-old rap artist Donavan Allen with a large kitchen knife at a block of flats in Enfield, north London, on 7 February last year.

The family of the victim, who was not the intended target, gathered at the Old Bailey on Monday to see him face justice but Adeoye refused to leave Pentonville prison.

Judge Philip Katz KC said his decision showed a “lack of empathy, and cowardice” as he handed him a life sentence with a minimum term of 23 years.

It comes just days after the government announced plans to force criminals to attend their sentencing hearings, using force if necessary, in the wake of high profile cases including child serial killer nurse Lucy Letby.

“There is no evidence Donavan was involved himself in the dangerous world of drug dealing, which I’m sure was the backdrop to his murder,” the judge said.

“I am 100% sure this was a planned attack to some degree to do with drug dealing. It is a mystery as to quite whether it was (over) debt or territory because no one has told the truth about it. I’m satisfied (Adeoye) was out and about with a knife acting as an enforcer.”

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The court heard Adeoye, who was known as T-Trapz, was caught on CCTV wearing a distinctive skull mask, popularised by the Call Of Duty video game.

He denied killing Mr Allen, who died as a result of a single stab wound to the chest.

But Adeoye was found guilty of murder, possession of a knife and making threats to another person with a blade at the Old Bailey in May.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mr Allen’s father Orlando said his son was excited about writing lyrics, making rap videos and performing.

He said: “I was there when he was born and held him with my own hands and I used my own hands to shovel the dirt to bury him. Timothy, why did you kill my son?”

Witnesses described being approached by Adeoye, who was looking for the victim’s friend, wearing a “scary mask or balaclava” and asking for information.

Prosecutor Alan Gardner KC told jurors: “That face mask is an important feature in this case, it is something the defendant wore during the course of the afternoon and at the time of the murder.”

He added: “It was an unprovoked and motiveless attack.

“There is some evidence that the defendant had an issue with (the victim’s friend), likely connected with drugs, but there is no evidence that he had any issue with Donavan Allen.”

Mr Allen collapsed in a stairwell nearby and died soon afterwards, while his friend handed his mobile phone to a neighbour to ring 999.

He was heard in the background to name the attacker, saying: “It’s T-Trapz. I screwed someone, T-Trapz is looking for me.”

Adeoye dumped the knife in a drain outside the block of flats as he fled the scene.

The weapon was found the next day and tests linked it by DNA to the victim and defendant.

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Jurors were told Adeoye sent a text message to the victim’s friend saying: “Better not (rat emoji).”

The killer left London and travelled to Bristol and Wiltshire, where he was arrested three days later.

Mr Gardner said Adeoye, Mr Allen and his friend were all alleged to have been involved in the supply of cannabis.

But the prosecutor told jurors: “Whatever the underlying issues or grievances those involved with this case may or may not have had with each other, fundamentally this case is about a young man losing his life due to the actions of this defendant.”

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