Overview

• After more than 14 hours of deliberation, a Sheffield jury convicted the unnamed 15-year-old of Harvey Willgoose’s murder, overturning his earlier manslaughter admission by an 11–1 majority verdict.
• Prosecutors said the February 3 lunch-break stabbing at All Saints Catholic High School was a deliberate act of retribution carried out with a hunting knife.
• The defense contended that years of bullying and a troubled home life caused the defendant to “snap” and lose control, claiming he did not remember the fatal blows.
• Sentencing is set for October when the court will determine the youth’s penalty and consider lifting the reporting restrictions on his identity.
• Local officials and community leaders have urged independent reviews of school security and renewed interventions to curb rising youth knife crime.