A 15-year-old boy in the UK who fatally stabbed a teenager in Birmingham city centre has been sentenced to life. According to the BBC, 17-year-old Muhammad Hassam Ali died in hospital in January this year, hours after he and his friend were followed by two masked 15-year-old boys before he was attacked in Victoria Square. The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of murder and possessing a knife, and on Friday was given a minimum sentence of 13 years. 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.
The two boys didn’t show any emotion as they were sentenced by Judge Mr Justice Garnham. Sentencing the pair, Mr Garnham said 17-year-old Ali’s murder was “yet another illustration of the appalling consequences of carrying knives in public places”. “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,” he said, per the BBC.
Separately, in a statement, Ali’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.”
The family continued that the teachers had commented on Ali’s kindness towards others, while fellow classmates described him as chatty and friendly. “He dreamt of becoming an engineer and his passion was to work hard to achieve his goal. This dream will no longer come true, not for wanting to work hard but at the hands of another,” they said.
Meanwhile, a trial earlier this year heard that the 17-year-old and his friend were simply sitting down, chatting about cricket over a hot chocolate and using their phones when they were approached by the two masked boys. The youths had followed them from Grand Central Shopping Centre before confronting Ali and his friend at Victoria Square.
The defendants wearing Covid-style masks had asked the pair if they knew who had “jumped a mate” of theirs a week before. This prompted a dispute, with Ali telling the pair he did not know what they were talking about. It was then that one of them pulled out a large knife and stabbed Ali in the chest before fleeing from the scene.
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In his evidence, the 15-year-old told the court that he only wanted to “scare” Ali and his friend and that he did not intend to seriously harm or kill anyone. He stated that he carried a knife when he went to busy places for protection as he had been attacked several times before and that he felt “regretful and upset” when he learned he had killed Ali.
The other youth told the cops that he had been “shocked and crying” after the incident. He claimed that he did not know his friend had a knife on him until he produced it. He also said that he had never seen Ali r his friend before and only went along with the killer in case he “got battered”.
Michael Ivers KC, representing the defendant, said he was remorseful and prays for Ali and his family regularly. He isn’t a man who is in any sense proud of what happened. He truly, truly regrets what happened. 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 said.