Teen denies murder, cites racist bullying as cause for fatal stabbing at Sheffield School
A 15-year-old boy charged with fatally stabbing his classmate at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield has told the court that relentless racist bullying and harassment triggered his uncontrollable anger, leading to the tragic incident.
The defendant, who cannot be named due to his age, denies murder but admits to manslaughter and possession of a knife on school premises. He took the witness stand to explain that ongoing bullying—both online and in school—left him constantly upset and quick to anger, saying, “I can’t control it,” News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
During the hearing, the teen described facing racial abuse and taunts about a medical condition from fellow pupils and strangers on social media. When questioned by his barrister, Gul Nawaz Hussain KC, the boy said he never felt safe from the bullying and recalled receiving threats such as, “I’ll stab you up,” which left him feeling scared.
The fatal stabbing of fellow 15-year-old Harvey Willgoose occurred on February 3 during lunch break, captured on CCTV footage shown to the jury. The blade struck through Harvey’s heart, resulting in his death.
Mr. Hussain argued the defendant did not intend to kill or seriously harm anyone, stating, “The defence say (the defendant’s) actions that day were the end result of a long period of bullying, poor treatment and violence, things that built one upon another until he lost control and did tragically what we’ve all seen.”
The trial continues as the court weighs the evidence surrounding this heartbreaking case.
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