Harvey Willgoose, 15, died after he was stabbed through the heart at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield after allegedly having a row on Snapchat
A teenager died in school after he was stabbed twice with a hunting knife after having a Snapchat row with a fellow pupil, a jury heard.
Sheffield United fan Harvey, 15, died after he was fatally stabbed in the heart during his lunch break at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield on February 3rd. A teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has gone on trial at Sheffield crown court accused of Harvey’s murder. The teenager has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and possession of a knife but denies murder.
A jury at Sheffield crown court heard Harvey had sent a text to his dad a few days before his death, saying he didn’t want to go to school. Harvey told him: “Am not going in that school while people have knives.” The court heard he was referring to an incident the previous week when the school was placed in lockdown.
Richard Thyne KC told the Jury how a knife was “thrust into Harvey’s chest, penetrating his heart.” The prosecutor told them: “It was just five minutes into the school lunch break, when Harvey Willgoose was stabbed to death. It was quarter past twelve in the afternoon on Monday 3rd February this year.
“Harvey was standing in the courtyard at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield, when a knife was thrust into his chest, penetrating his heart. In less than a minute he had collapsed onto the ground, where he lost consciousness and died. He was 15 years old.
“The stab wound that killed Harvey was inflicted with such force that the knife cut the bone of one of his ribs. The knife used to cause that wound was a hunting knife with a 13cm, serrated-edged blade.
“And the person who took that hunting knife into school with him that day, and who used it to inflict the fatal injury upon Harvey, was another pupil…The prosecution case is that (the defendant) murdered Harvey Willgoose.
“He admits that he stabbed Harvey causing his death. He also admits that the stabbing was not carried out in lawful self-defence.
“However, he says that his actions amount to the less serious offence of manslaughter, and not murder. And so, the issue that you will be focusing on, in the course of this trial is whether this was, indeed, murder as the prosecution say it was.”
He added: “The prosecution say this wasn’t manslaughter, this was murder.”
The court heard Harvey and the defendant had been arguing over an incident at the school involving two other boys the previous week.
The jury were told Harvey had not been at school that day but the defendant had got involved in the dispute and claimed to have seen a knife.
The school was placed in lockdown and the police called but no knife was found. The two boys were later suspended.
Both the defendant and Harvey had told their family they did not want to go to school after this incident.
The pair had been involved in a row about it on social media, the court heard. The prosecutor said: “One pupil who was part of the group on Snapchat in which the messages were exchanged describes “nonstop arguing”, with Harvey saying things like “why would you start on my friend” and (the def) saying “if you want to have a problem we can have a problem.” Eventually, another pupil removed the two of them from the group because of the arguing.”
Prior this row the court heard the boys had been on good terms with the defendant asking to sit next to Harvey in Science classes.
Both boys, the jury were told, arrived at school late on the day of the stabbing. CCTV was played to the court showing them talking in a corridor, with the defendant pushing Harvey several times as if to “provoke” him.
The fatal stabbing shocked the nation and this week his family who are attending the trial, told of facing a ‘tough and emotional few weeks ahead”.
At his funeral in February his cousin Lana Swirles told the congregation: “His laughter was contagious and his kindness knew no bounds.
“His adventurous spirit inspired us to enjoy life and seek out joy in the little things.”
The service heard how he loved fishing with his grandfather, was “never far from a scrape” and his mother Caroline recalled that as a little boy his catchphrase was: “Isn’t it a lovely day?”
She told mourners: “One of Harvey’s great gifts was his love of people, his kindness to others and his ability to talk to anyone.”
Harvey’s parents have been prominent campaigners against knife crime since their son’s death and they met Home Secretary Yvette Cooper about the issue in March.
In recent Facebook posts she wrote: “Please please wake up. We need to stand together and get the Government to listen to us. We have to try to make this country better for our children, our future.”
The trial continues.
