A WEAPON-obsessed teen has been found guilty of murdering a 15-year-old boy with a hunting knife in horror attack at school.
Harvey Willgoose was ambushed in a courtyard while on his lunchbreak at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield.
PAHarvey Willgoose was stabbed to death at school[/caption]
PAThe killer had an obsession with weapons[/caption]
He was stabbed twice – including once in the heart – by a 15-year-old boy in front of horrified pupils in an “act of retribution”.
Following the attack, he told headteacher Sean Pender: “I’m not right in the head. My mum doesn’t look after me right.”
The teen, who legally cannot be named, also said “you know I can’t control it” when the school’s assistant head, Morgan Davis, took the knife off him.
He has now been found guilty of murder after previously admitting manslaughter.
Harvey’s family including his mum Caroline wept as the verdict was delivered today after 14 hours of deliberation.
Sheffield Crown Court heard Harvey and the defendant had fallen out five days before the horror on February 3.
A teacher had to restrain the killer when he got involved in an altercation between two other boys.
The school was plunged into lockdown after he claimed one of the other students had a knife but no weapon was found.
Harvey stayed off school for the rest of the week, texting his dad: “Am not going in that school while people have knives.”
Then over the weekend, the pair fell out on social media as each boy sided with a different pupil involved in the altercation.
The defendant came to school on the day of the fatal stabbing and told a teacher he had nothing on him he shouldn’t when asked.
But just after the start of the lunchbreak, he pulled out the hunting knife and stabbed Harvey twice.
Police later discovered pictures and video on the killer’s phone that showed him posing with knives.
He had also conducted a number of chilling searches for weapons leading up to the killing.
Prosecutor Richard Thyne KC said the boy “wanted to show he was hard” and had become “obsessed” with weapons.
He had previously talked about “shanking” someone when he was 13 years old and searched “waiting for someone to swing so I can let out my anger”.
Mr Thyne said the boy’s internet searches showed “not just someone with a growing fascination with weapons, but someone who really wanted to own them”.
He said: “You may think the searches aren’t conducted by someone who has a specific and deep-rooted fear of someone, but by someone who’s become obsessed.”
But Gul Nawaz Hussain KC, defending, said the defendant “snapped” after years of bullying and “an intense period of fear at school”.
He told jurors: “Tragically, Harvey was a combination of being the final straw that broke (the defendant) and the unintended face of a series of threats of violence and bullying he had suffered in recent months.
“We say he suffered a loss of control which resulted in horrific and tragic consequences.”
The boy will be sentenced on October 22.
‘His death could have been prevented’ – Harvey’s parents speak out
Harvey Willgoose’s parents believe his death could have been prevented as there were “flags” in the days and hours before he was stabbed to death at his school.
Caroline Willgoose said her son was worried about attending, telling his parents he thought some students had knives, and she said this belief was shared by other children at All Saints Catholic High School, in Sheffield.
Mrs Willgoose said: “There were so many flags, so many flags.
“That’s the harrowing thing, that’s the worst thing, that it could have been so prevented.”
The jury heard how the defendant was asked if had brought anything into school that he should not have just a few hours before he stabbed Harvey, and he assured the assistant head that he did not.
This followed an incident five days before when the school went into lockdown after this boy claimed one of the teenagers involved had a knife, but police found no weapons.
Mrs Willgoose said: “If you have a reason to ask that child, you’ve got a reason to search that child.
“And that was on the morning. Hours before this happened to Harvey.”
She said: “Harvey told us on that Wednesday (five days before he died), ‘this is why I don’t go to school, because children have knives in schools’.
“He told us that on the Wednesday.
“Children knew that there were knives in that school.”
South Yorkshire Police referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after Harvey’s death in relation to prior contact officers had with the defendant.
This did not meet the criteria for a valid referral as there was no police contact with Harvey prior to his death.
The IOPC said it later received a complaint referral “in relation to the actions and decision-making by officers regarding the alleged offender prior to the incident” and a complaint was also made regarding the actions of an officer following the incident.
It said it was decided that an investigation was required and that it should be undertaken by South Yorkshire Police.
Chris Hartley of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Very sadly knife crime continues to be an awful blight on local communities leaving people completely devastated by the senseless loss of young lives.
“We would like to express our huge sympathies for family and friends of Harvey Willgoose.
“We hope that these guilty verdicts bring some comfort to the Willgoose family that justice has been served here today.
“The CPS and South Yorkshire Police were able to prove that the defendant did not lose self-control but intended to deliberately attack 15 year old Harvey.
“We remind teenagers that there can be horrendous and serious consequences of carrying knives. It has been proven that if you carry these weapons, you are more likely to use them or be a victim of knife crime. You are putting yourself, other people and your future at risk.
“Please stop carrying knives and stop putting lives in danger.”
PAHarvey pictured with his mum Caroline[/caption]
PAThe teen was on his lunchbreak when he was killed[/caption]
Harvey was stabbed twice – including once in the heart Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
