A jury at Leeds Crown Court heard from a 15-year-old boy who admitted to stabbing another youngster, Alfie Lewis, in the chest with a kitchen knife. The teen claimed that he had drawn the knife out of fear of an imminent assault. For legal reasons, the identity of the minor cannot be revealed. The boy has denied the charge of murder. He went on to say that he was terrified of Alfie after an incident a week before, and he had never before brought a knife to school.
The teen said he ‘froze’ when Alfie approached him after school, but all he wanted to do was get home. He removed the knife from his belt and faced Alfie, but he kept the blade at his side.
The defense counsel, Nicholas Lumley KC, questioned the minor about his motivation for drawing the knife. According to the child’s testimony in court, he retrieved the knife to frighten Alfie away. Alfie was approaching him at a high pace, and the youngster understood that Alfie was about to attack. Afterward, the defendant reached under his pants with his right hand and attempted to seize the boy’s coat jacket with his left. The youngster then stepped back, at which point he swung the knife downwards.
The youngster told the jury that he had no idea he had made contact with Alfie since he saw “no reaction” and that Alfie didn’t seem distressed.
The accused continued by saying that Alfie threw himself back and began to kick him. After realizing Alfie was no longer a danger, the youngster dashed away and put down the knife.
Close to St. Margaret’s Primary School in Horsforth, on Town Street, shortly before 3 pm on November 7, 2023, in full view of parents and children, Alfie was stabbed with a kitchen knife that was thirteen centimeters long, according to the jury’s hearing.
The boy recounted two incidents that occurred between the child and Alfie in the months leading up to the event before the jury. In July 2023, the defendant was engaged in a quarrel with another youngster. Alfie, along with others, joined in and hit the defendant in the face before stepping on him. He said the encounter with Alfie’s warning, “You better not snitch,” left him terrified.
The second occurrence occurred on Halloween 2023. The youth said before the jury that he brought the blade to school during the half-term break out of fear of what would happen if Alfie caught sight of it.
The case is still ongoing.
