Two drug dealers were ambushed and stabbed to death in a 79 second attack that left the victims looking as though they had suffered gunshot wounds, a court heard.

Aaron Carriere, 21, and Josiah Manful, 20, were attacked by a gang acting like “a pack of wild animals”.

On March 1, shortly before 1am, the two men were lured into a trap and their Ford Fiesta was boxed in by four other cars in a street in Montague Road, Leytonstone.

The killers smashed the windows of the cars in the frenzied attack and four or five surrounded the car to reach in and stab the two men.

They then got into the cars and roared off as quickly as they had arrived, leaving their victims to die.

Prosecutor Jacob Hallam said: “Less than a minute later those two men were fatally wounded, having been stabbed in a swift, frenzied utterly brutal attack than left Manful with 13 wounds and Carriere with eleven.

“The mission accomplished, the assailants ran back to the four cars which sped off into the night less than a minute after they arrived.”

Manful managed to stagger out of the car but collapsed on the bonnet while his friend died in the car.

Seven men are on trial for the killing but a total of eleven may have been involved, the court heard.

Mr Hallam said: “These defendants were working as a team with a plan and a purpose. The plan was to murder Manful and Carriere into the trap and the purpose was to kill them.

“The extent of the injuries of the victims was such that it initially looked as though they had both been shot.

“Each of these men was there to play his part - some wielded knifes others leant support by their physical intimidating presence, others were need to driver to and from the scene.'”

Carriere was a successful trader in heroin and crack while Manful sold drugs and second hand cars.

The precise motive for the killing is unknown but the seven men in the dock had all been in close contact on mobile phones before the ambush.

They accept they were at the scene but claim it was not as part of a murderous plan.  

Witness, Paul Orford said: “The prosecution say this group of men were acting like a pack of wild animals. In fact, to call them animals is an injustice to animals.”

Devonte Campbell, 20, of Orwell Road, Beckton, Casey Jones, 19, of Forest Road, Walthamstow, Alex Bernard, 21 of Murchison Road, Leyton, Omar Hassan, 21 of Salcombe Road, Leytonstone, Wail Alawi, 23, of Travers Close, Walthamstow, a 17-year-old, of Leystonstone, and another 17-year-old, of Forest Gate, all deny two charges of murder.

The trial continues.