15-Yr-Old Who Stabbed Teen To Death In UK Handed Life Sentence

It took the jury over four hours to return with unanimous verdicts in July and found the youths who carried out the fatal attack guilty of murder and possessing a knife.

Ali dreamt of becoming an engineer he was working hard to achieve his goal, his family said.

Source : X/@BrumPolice

A 15-year-old boy who followed and stabbed a teenager he didn’t know in Birmingham city, UK has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum sentence of 13 years.

According to a BBC report, Muhammad Hassam Ali, known as Ali, was 17 when he was in a hospital on January 20, just hours after he and his friend were in Victoria Square, drinking hot chocolate and chatting about cricket. They were confronted by two 15-year-old boys who were wearing face masks.

The two teenagers had followed Ali and his friend from the Grand Central Shopping Centre wearing “Covid-style face masks”.

According to The Guardian, neither of the boys showed any emotions as their sentences were read out by the judge, Justice Garnham, who said 17-year-old Ali’s murder was “yet another illustration of the appalling consequences of carrying knives in public places” as he detained them at Birmingham crown court on Friday.

Justice Garnham further said, “It is perfectly clear to me (Ali) was a much-loved son and brother and his family have been left utterly devastated by his death.”

Earlier this year, a trial at Coventry crown court heard a conversation which lasted about four minutes, during which the boys asked Ali and his friend where they came from, and if they knew who “jumped a mate” of their week before. Ali said, “Bro, I don’t know what you’re talking about, you’re pissing me off”. This was when the convicted youth pulled out a large knife and stabbed him in the chest.

“You suggested in evidence that the words of Ali caused you to fear for your safety. The jury did not accept that and neither do I. They did no more than was reasonable in trying to persuade you to go away. There was no justification for pulling out a knife on an unarmed young man who posed no risk to you”, Justice Garnham on Friday.

It took the jury over four hours to return with unanimous verdicts in July and found the youths who carried out the fatal attack guilty of murder and possessing a knife. The second 15-year-old, who was standing nearby, was found guilty of manslaughter and possessing a knife and was sentenced to five years' detention in secure accommodation.

On Friday, in a statement, Muhammad’s family said, "We as a family still can't even bear to think about how he died, even writing the word murdered destroys a little bit of us again. The loss of Muhammad, or any child, is devastating and life-destroying, but the fact that someone has so brutally taken his life in such a horrific way will always haunt us," as per BBC.

"He dreamt of becoming an engineer and his passion was to work hard to achieve his goal," they said.

As per The Guardian, in his evidence, the teen who wielded the knife told the court that all he wanted to do was “scare” Ali and his friend and didn’t intend to harm him or anyone. Michael Ivers KC, representing the defendant, said he was remorseful and prays for Ali and his family regularly.

He said, “He isn’t a man who is in any sense proud of what happened. He truly, truly regrets what happened”, as per the report. “If he could turn the clock back, not for his own sake but because of the impact it has had on others, he would”, he added.