Boy, 15, stabbed stranger in heart while he was chatting about cricket with his friend

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A 15-year-old boy who stabbed a teenager in the heart in Birmingham city centre as he and a friend chatted about cricket has been detained for life with a minimum term of 13 years for his murder. Muhammad Hassam Ali, known as Ali, died in hospital on January 20, hours after he and his friend were followed through the city by two masked males they did not know, before he was stabbed in the chest by one of them as they sat in Victoria Square.

Judge Mr Justice Garnham said 17-year-old Ali’s murder was “yet another illustration of the appalling consequences of carrying knives in public places” as he detained them at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday. He said: “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.”

Neither of the youths, who cannot be identified for legal reasons due to their age, showed any emotion as they were sentenced. A jury took just over four hours to return unanimous verdicts in July, finding the youth who carried out the fatal attack guilty of murder and possessing a knife and his friend, who was standing nearby when the stabbing happened, guilty of manslaughter and possessing a knife.

The second youth, also aged 15, was told by Mr Justice Garnham he must serve five years’ detention in secure accommodation. A trial at Coventry Crown Court earlier this year heard Ali and his friend were “simply sat down chatting and using their phones” with hot chocolates when they were approached by the two youths “as if from nowhere”.

The youths had followed them from Grand Central Shopping Centre and through New Street before confronting Ali and his friend at Victoria Square. They did not introduce themselves, instead asking Ali and his friend where they came from and if they knew who had “jumped a mate” of theirs a week before.

After a conversation lasting around four minutes, in which the killer claimed Ali and his friend told them to “f*** off” and “piss off”, Ali allegedly said: “Bro, I don’t know what you’re talking about, you’re pissing me off”, which prompted one of the youths to pull out a large knife and stab him in the chest before they both fled.

In his evidence, the youth - who had the knife in his trousers before stabbing Ali and was wearing a Covid-style face mask, a hat and gloves - told the court he only wanted to “scare” Ali and his friend, and that he did not intend to seriously harm or kill anyone. He said 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, who did not give evidence during the trial but spoke to police during an interview after his arrest, said he had been “shocked and crying” after the attack, claiming he did not know his friend had a knife on him until he produced it. He also said he had never seen Ali or his friend before and only went along with the killer in case he “got battered”.

Michael Ivers KC, representing the youth who carried out the fatal knife attack, said the defendant is remorseful and prays for Ali and his family regularly. He said: “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.”

Charlie Sherrard KC, acting for the other youth, said his client has “always been remorseful” for what happened. Sentencing the pair, who sat in the dock wearing white untucked shirts and dark trousers surrounded by four dock officers, Mr Justice Garnham said the first youth had pulled out a knife “for no obvious reason”.

He said: “You suggested in evidence that the words of Ali caused you to fear for your safety. The jury did not accept that and neither do I. They did no more than was reasonable in trying to persuade you to go away. There was no justification for pulling out a knife on an unarmed young man who posed no risk to you.”

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Addressing the second youth, he said: “You knew (your friend) was carrying a knife, you knew he intended to use it and you encouraged him to use it. I accept that you did not envisage he would use it to kill Ali.”

Family members of both youths sobbed in the public gallery as the pair were sentenced. A statement from Ali’s family, who were in court for the hearing, read out by prosecutor Mark Heywood KC described the teenager as a budding engineer and said they would never get over his death.

They said: “The loss of a child is devastating and life-destroying, but the fact someone took his life in such a horrific and brutal way will always haunt us.”

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