Mamdouh Al Ibrahim, 16, thought he was safe in the UK after being injured in a bombing in Syria – the teen who dreamed of becoming a doctor was stabbed to death last week
A teenager fatally stabbed in his “safe haven” of Huddersfield had fled the war in Syria after being injured in a bombing. Ahmad Mamdouh Al Ibrahim, 16, had “very recently” arrived in the UK for a new life.
According to a tribute released by his family they said the kind teenager had been “settling into his new life” and wanted to help others by becoming a doctor. But tragically he suffered a single wound to the neck in a busy town centre street and died in a UK hospital following the incident on Thursday afternoon. Since then flowers and candles have been left at the scene by horrified members of the public.
On Tuesday, Alfie Franco, 20, of The Crescent, Kirkburton, appeared at Leeds crown court charged with murdering the teenager and possessing a knife in a public place.
After the hearing, Ahmad’s devastated family released a picture of the teen and said: “We never thought that the place he saw as a safe haven would be where his life would end.”
They explained: “Ahmad fled war-torn Homs, Syria, after being injured in a bombing. He chose to come to the UK because he believed in the values of human rights, safety, and dignity.”
His former home in Syria was the scene of fierce fighting in the country’s civil war which began in 2011. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimated that more than 650,000 people were killed in the 13-year conflict.
Police said the incident, which happened in Ramsden Street in the centre of the West Yorkshire town around 2.45pm on Thursday April 3rd, was not gang-related or linked to any wider dispute between groups.
The teenager had recently arrived in West Yorkshire and according to the family statement “had just begun settling into his new life with his uncle, adjusting to a new language, a new home, and a future he was excited to build.”
“He was full of hope and dreamed of becoming a doctor – wanting to heal others after all he had endured,” they added. “Ahmad was kind, gentle and carried so much promise. Losing him has left an unimaginable emptiness in our hearts.” They described the teenager as “kind and gentle” and said his death had left an “unimaginable emptiness in our hearts”. Ahmad’s family said their only wish now was to lay him to rest in his homeland adding “Thank you for helping us honour his memory”.
In court, Mr Franco was not asked to enter a plea to the charges and a provisional trial date was set for October 2nd. He was remanded in custody until his next court appearance for a plea and trial on May 7th. West Yorkshire Police said they are still investigating the fatal stabbing.
Officers from the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team are said to be continuing to work with the victim’s family. The force said last week that Ahmad had “only very recently moved to Huddersfield from the South Wales area.”
