Overview

• On July 23, 2024, 15-year-old Pharrell Garcia was stabbed through the heart in Stellman Close park and died at the scene despite bystander efforts.
• The defendant, now 16, was convicted of manslaughter in February, cleared of murder and on June 20 received a 12-year custodial sentence with a minimum seven-year term.
• Prosecutors disproved his claim that the victim wielded the multi-tool, presenting CCTV and forensic evidence that he pursued Garcia after inflicting the fatal wound.
• Police found 43 knife-related images and videos on his phone and uncovered messages showing he attempted to dispose of the weapon and flee to Portugal.
• Detectives and local officials warned that the case underscores growing youth knife crime concerns in Hackney and renewed calls for preventive community measures.