Teenage killer accused of ‘stalking’ by victim hours before fatally stabbing her

Holly Newton was repeatedly stabbed by a boy who admits manslaughter, but denies her murder in Hexham, Northumberland last year.

Fifteen-year-old Holly Newton who was fatally stabbed in Hexham, Northumberland in January 2023 (Northumbria Police/PA (PA Media)

A 15-year-old girl told a friend that a teenage boy was “basically stalking” her hours before he went on to stab her to death in an alleyway.

Holly Newton’s mother was so concerned that day that she contacted police about the 16-year-old boy, who was known to her daughter, and it was agreed that she should not leave school if the youth was outside, jurors trying him for murder were told.

The schoolgirl was stabbed repeatedly and suffered 36 injuries in less than a minute after agreeing to speak to the teenager in an alleyway in Hexham, Northumberland, on January 27 last year.

The defendant, who is now 17 and on trial at Newcastle Crown Court cannot be identified due to his age.

He has admitted manslaughter but denies murdering Holly, who lived in Haltwhistle and went to school in Hexham.

Continuing to open the prosecution case which started on Thursday, David Brooke KC said Holly was “extremely nervous” when she left school that day and looked for the boy in the grounds and surrounding area.

So he’s basically stalking me at this point

Message by Holly Newton to a friend

That morning, Holly had messaged a friend to say: “Apparently (the defendant) is gonna meet to me outside of school.

“So he’s basically stalking me at this point.

“He’s gonna follow me until I talk to him”.

The jury has previously heard how the boy followed Holly and friends around Hexham for around 45 minutes from a distance after school that afternoon.

He then waited to speak to her outside a pizza shop and she agreed to speak to him down an alleyway where he launched his lethal attack.

A schoolboy who was with Holly that afternoon heard her screams and went to help and was also stabbed, suffering injuries to his shoulder arm and thigh which required surgery.

Passers-by also tried to help and managed to restrain the defendant who then said Holly had been “horrible” or “awful” to him, before adding: “Oh what have I done?”

The boy told police: “I was meant to kill myself but it went too far.”

The defendant denies murder as well as causing wounding with intent on the boy and an alternative charge of wounding.

The trial continues.