15 Year old who fatally stabbed another teen
Muhammad Hassam Ali, 17, was killed by stranger after a four-minute conversation in city centre. The teen was followed by another teenager through Birmingham city centre, that he did not know, who consequently stabbed him to death after a four-minute conversation has finally been jailed for life with a minimum of 13 years.
Muhammad Hassam Ali, known as Ali, was 17 when he died in hospital on 20 January, hours after he and his friend were confronted by two masked 15-year-old boys they had never met as they sat in Victoria Square, drinking hot chocolate and chatting about cricket.
Neither of them showed any emotion as they were sentenced by the judge, Mr Justice Garnham, who 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.
Trial at Coventry crown court
A trial at Coventry crown court earlier this year heard that, in a conversation lasting about four minutes, the two boys asked Ali and his friend where they came from and if they knew who had “jumped a mate” of theirs a week before.
After Ali allegedly said: “Bro, I don’t know what you’re talking about, you’re pissing me off,” the youth pulled out a large knife and stabbed him in the chest.
Teen in Birmingham is jailed for life
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.
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.”