Britain's youngest killers in 30 years sentenced for machete attack
Adds PM Starmer comment in paragraphs 7-8
Boys, aged 12 at the time, sentenced to minimum of 8 years and 6 months
Judge Tipples: Attack was horrific, shocking, and not premeditated
PM Starmer: Young children should not have access to knives
By Kylie MacLellan
LONDON, Sept 27 (Reuters) -Two boys who were aged 12 when they killed a 19-year-old man in a "horrific" machete attack in central England last year were sentenced on Friday to a minimum of eight years and six months in custody.
The boys, now 13, are the youngest people to be convicted for murder in Britain since two 10-year-olds killed toddler James Bulger in 1993, one of the most infamous murders in the country's recent history.
The victim in last year's attack, Shawn Seesahai, was stabbed in the back, legs and skull in a park in Wolverhampton in November. The court heard the wound to his back was 23 centimetres (9 inches) deep, penetrating his lungs and heart.
"The facts of this case are horrific and shocking," Judge Amanda Tipples said.
"I'm sure from the nature of these injuries that the defendants intended to kill Shawn, they acted together to do so although I cannot be sure which one inflicted the fatal stab wound. It was an attack which happened on the spur of the moment and was not premeditated."
The boys, neither of whom can be named for legal reasons, were found guilty of murder in June after a 20-day trial.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a former chief prosecutor, said he had been shocked to his core by the case.
"That a murder so brutal could be carried out by 12-year-olds is hard to believe," he said on X. "Young children should not have access to knives. We need to tackle this crisis head on."
Seesahai, who was from Anguilla in the Caribbean, had been in Britain for around six months, visiting for eye surgery and to study. He was described by his mother as "generous and compassionate".
His father said the murder "left a huge hole in the pit of our stomach which nothing can fill, we are devastated as a family, totally heartbroken and confused".
One of the boys bought the machete from a friend for 40 pounds ($54) and kept it under his bed. On the day of the attack he came home from school, got changed out of his uniform, and took the knife with him to meet up with the second boy.
After the attack on Seesahai, who had asked them to move from a bench, the boys fled. One cleaned the machete with bleach and put it back under his bed.
($1 = 0.7468 pounds)
Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Alex Richardson
Pinakabagong Balita
Disclaimer: Ang mga kabilang sa XM Group ay nagbibigay lang ng serbisyo sa pagpapatupad at pag-access sa aming Online Trading Facility, kung saan pinapahintulutan nito ang pagtingin at/o paggamit sa nilalaman na makikita sa website o sa pamamagitan nito, at walang layuning palitan o palawigin ito, at hindi din ito papalitan o papalawigin. Ang naturang pag-access at paggamit ay palaging alinsunod sa: (i) Mga Tuntunin at Kundisyon; (ii) Mga Babala sa Risk; at (iii) Kabuuang Disclaimer. Kaya naman ang naturang nilalaman ay ituturing na pangkalahatang impormasyon lamang. Mangyaring isaalang-alang na ang mga nilalaman ng aming Online Trading Facility ay hindi paglikom, o alok, para magsagawa ng anumang transaksyon sa mga pinansyal na market. Ang pag-trade sa alinmang pinansyal na market ay nagtataglay ng mataas na lebel ng risk sa iyong kapital.
Lahat ng materyales na nakalathala sa aming Online Trading Facility ay nakalaan para sa layuning edukasyonal/pang-impormasyon lamang at hindi naglalaman – at hindi dapat ituring bilang naglalaman – ng payo at rekomendasyon na pangpinansyal, tungkol sa buwis sa pag-i-invest, o pang-trade, o tala ng aming presyo sa pag-trade, o alok para sa, o paglikom ng, transaksyon sa alinmang pinansyal na instrument o hindi ginustong pinansyal na promosyon.
Sa anumang nilalaman na galing sa ikatlong partido, pati na ang mga nilalaman na inihanda ng XM, ang mga naturang opinyon, balita, pananaliksik, pag-analisa, presyo, ibang impormasyon o link sa ibang mga site na makikita sa website na ito ay ibibigay tulad ng nandoon, bilang pangkalahatang komentaryo sa market at hindi ito nagtataglay ng payo sa pag-i-invest. Kung ang alinmang nilalaman nito ay itinuring bilang pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, kailangan mong isaalang-alang at tanggapin na hindi ito inilaan at inihanda alinsunod sa mga legal na pangangailangan na idinisenyo para maisulong ang pagsasarili ng pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, at dahil dito ituturing ito na komunikasyon sa marketing sa ilalim ng mga kaugnay na batas at regulasyon. Mangyaring siguruhin na nabasa at naintindihan mo ang aming Notipikasyon sa Hindi Independyenteng Pananaliksik sa Pag-i-invest at Babala sa Risk na may kinalaman sa impormasyong nakalagay sa itaas, na maa-access dito.
