Youngest British killers in 30 years convicted of machete attack

London: Two boys who were 12 when they killed a 19-year-old man in a “horrific” machete attack in central England last year were sentenced on Friday to a minimum term of eight years and six months in prison.

The boys, now aged 13, are the youngest people convicted of murder in Britain since two 10-year-olds killed little James Bulger in 1993, one of the most infamous murders in history. recent history of the country.

The victim of last year’s attack, Shawn Seesahai, was stabbed in the back, legs and head in a Wolverhampton park in November. The court heard the wound in his back was 23 centimeters (9 inches) deep, penetrating his lungs and heart.

“The facts of this case are horrific and shocking,” Judge Amanda Tipples said.

“I am sure, given the nature of these injuries, that the defendants intended to kill Shawn, they acted together to do so, although I cannot be sure which one inflicted the fatal stab wound. was an attack that happened on the spur of the moment and was not premeditated.

The boys, neither of whom can be named for legal reasons, were convicted of murder in June following a 20-day trial.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a former chief prosecutor, said he was deeply shocked by the case.

“It is hard to believe that such a brutal murder could be carried out by 12-year-olds,” he said on X. “Young children should not have access to knives. We must confront this crisis head-on.”

Seesahai, originally from Anguilla in the Caribbean, had been in Britain for around six months, visiting for eye surgery and to study. He was described by his mother as “generous and compassionate.”

His father said the murder “left a huge hole in the pit of our stomach that nothing can fill. We are devastated as a family, totally heartbroken and confused.”

One of the boys bought the machete from a friend for 40 pounds ($54) and kept it under his bed. On the day of the attack, he came home from school, took off his uniform and took the knife with him to meet the second boy.

After the attack by Seesahai, who asked them to leave a bench, the boys fled. One of them cleaned the machete with bleach and put it back under his bed.