Overview

• At Sheffield Crown Court the 15-year-old defendant described sustained racist bullying and taunts over a medical condition at multiple schools before the February attack.
• He said social media harassment intensified after a lockdown at All Saints Catholic High School and included threats such as “I’ll stab you up” that left him feeling scared.
• The boy has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and knife possession but denies murder, arguing long-term abuse caused a momentary loss of control rather than premeditated intent.
• Earlier in the trial jurors viewed CCTV of him producing a knife and lunging at Harvey Willgoose twice, with Harvey collapsing 49 seconds after the first strike.
• Jurors are now weighing the defence’s loss-of-control account against prosecution claims of deliberate planning as the trial continues.