Teenager guilty of murder of Huddersfield boy on way home from school
A 15-year-old youth admitted murder at a previous hearing
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A teenager has been found guilty of murdering a 15-year-old boy in a knife attack near a school.
Leeds Crown Court heard how Khayri Mclean, 15, was stabbed while making his way home from North Huddersfield Trust School (NHTS), in the West Yorkshire town, on September 21 last year.
On Wednesday, a 17-year-old boy, who was 16 at the time, was found guilty of murdering Khayri.
A 15-year-old youth admitted murder at a previous hearing.
During a week-long trial, prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC told jurors that Khayri was met by the two defendants who were waiting for him as he left the school on Woodhouse Hall Road with his friends.
Mr Sandiford said they “charged” towards him aggressively and the 15-year-old stabbed Khayri in the chest with what proved to be a fatal blow, as it went through his ribs and penetrated one of his lungs and heart.
He said Khayri fell to the floor and was “defenceless on his back” when the older defendant, who denied murder, went after him, knife in hand, and stabbed him in his lower leg.
Prosecutors said that although this defendant did not inflict the fatal blow, he was guilty of murder because the pair acted together and were “encouraging and supporting each other to carry out that attack”.
Mr Sandiford told the jury of eight women and four men: “The prosecution says this was a well-planned and targeted attack on Khayri Mclean with the intention of killing him or at least causing him really serious harm.”
Giving evidence, the 17-year-old denied targeting Khayri, telling a court he went to the scene for a “fist fight” with another youth.
He showed no emotion as the jury verdict was read out after just under five hours of deliberations.
The judge, Mrs Justice Farbey, told the older defendant, who cannot be named, there will be a hearing on Thursday to discuss the next steps in the case but sentencing will take place at a later date to be fixed.