Teenage boy, 15, stabbed through the heart 'in full view' of primary school pupils and parents
23 April 2024, 06:22 | Updated: 23 April 2024, 06:24
A teenage boy was stabbed to death in front of schoolchildren and their parents, a court has heard.
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Alfie Lewis, 15, was stabbed in the heart in the Horsforth area of Leeds on November 7 last year.
Another teenage boy, now aged 15, is on trial accused of murdering him with a 13cm kitchen knife he had taken from home.
He has denied the murder charge and said he was acting in self-defence.
But Alfie, who was walking to meet friends, looked "surprised and shocked" and asked "what are you doing?" when he was attacked, the prosecutor said.
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Craig Hassall told the court: "Alfie did not get as far as meeting any of his friends that day.
"He was approached by (the defendant), and stabbed twice - once in the chest and once in the leg.
"He collapsed and died in the road close to the primary school in full view of scores of pupils leaving school and the people who were waiting to collect them."
The fatal injury was a 14cm deep wound to Alfie's chest which punctured his heart, according to a post-mortem.
Mr Hassall told the jury at Leeds Crown Court: "(The defendant) then fled the scene, dropping the murder weapon in the road close to the primary school."
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The prosecutor said the defendant had already admitted possessing the knife.
He added: "As we understand it, (the defendant) will accept that Alfie was killed by the knife from his kitchen drawer at home, but will say that, at all times, he was acting in self-defence."
Mr Hassall told the jury of seven women and five men: "But all of the witnesses are consistent however in that none of them suggest that Alfie was in any way the aggressor on November 7.
"None of them suggest that it was that Alfie that attacked (the defendant).
"Several of the witnesses speak of Alfie seeming surprised and shocked at what (the defendant) was doing.
"Several of them recall hearing Alfie ask of (the defendant): 'What are you doing?'"
He said: "None of the witnesses heard Alfie shouting at or threatening (the defendant).
"Insofar as any of the witnesses saw Alfie doing anything towards (the defendant), they describe him trying in vain to defend himself from (the defendant's) knife.
"Several of the witnesses describe deliberate blows by (the defendant) to Alfie."
Alfie is said to have been involved in two disputes with the defendant, according to a witness.
One was a fight in which he intervened, pushing and telling the defendant off after he hit a girl.
The other was an incident in which the defendant is said to have thrown a firework at Alfie.
The trial continues.
