Schoolboy, 15, fatally stabbed after online argument escalates into violence

A 15-year-old schoolboy told his dad he "wasn't going to school where people had knives" days before he was fatally stabbed in the heart following a social media spat with a fellow pupil, a jury heard. Harvey Willgoose collapsed and died after a simmering Snapchat argument erupted in violence during a lunch break at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield.

A pupil, also 15, who admits stabbing Harvey but denies murder subsequently told the headteacher: "I'm not right in the head" after he had smuggled the deadly weapon into class. Sheffield Crown Court was shown "shocking" footage of the stabbing incident on February 3, which left Harvey dead and his classmates fleeing "in fear and panic". The boy, who cannot be named, admits killing Harvey with the 13cm blade, but claims it was manslaughter not murder.

Days before his death Harvey skipped class following a knife incident at the school involving other pupils, text messaging his dad to tell him: "Am not going in that school while people have knives".

It is alleged the previous incident led to Harvey and the defendant falling out in a Snapchat group, with each siding with one of the boys involved in the initial dispute, who had been suspended.

Opening the case Richard Thyne KC, prosecuting, told how after being disarmed the killer told All Saints' head Sean Pender: "I'm not right in the head. My mum doesn't look after me right. I've stabbed him."

The prosecutor said the boy confirmed to Mr Pender he was referring to Harvey, and that he had stabbed him once or twice.

Mr Thyne said: "Whilst waiting for the emergency services to arrive, (the defendant) also told Mr Pender that he was carrying the knife for protection."

The prosecutor revealed the altercation happened in a school courtyard just as the lunch break was starting.

He played the chilling CCTV footage to the jurors, telling them: "It is shocking, but it is necessary to play it."

Mr Thyne said the prosecution case is that the CCTV shows Harvey appearing to put his left hand on the defendant's right arm before the defendant "takes a knife out of his left pocket, passes it across into his right hand, and then stabs twice at Harvey's torso".

He said the defendant then advances towards Harvey, who backs away across the courtyard, before the boy "returns towards where the incident began, gesturing towards Harvey with his knife, and appearing to shout at Harvey".

The video shows Harvey running towards the defendant, who then advances for a second time, "bouncing on his toes, still brandishing the knife", the prosecutor said, adding that then "Harvey backs away".

Mr Thyne said "other pupils fled in fear and panic" as the defendant went into the dining hall still gripping the knife.

Staff members Carolyn Siddall and Rachel Hobkirk approached the boy as he "was dancing around on his toes and waving the knife around, although by this stage he seemed to be saying 'I'm not going to hurt anyone'", the prosecutor said.

He added: "They told him to put the knife down but he did not do so."

He told the jury assistant head Morgan Davis arrived and "found the defendant still waving the knife around".

As Mr Davis told him to hand over the knife, the defendant was saying to him: "You know I can't control it," which Mr Thyne said the teacher took to be a reference to his anger issues, given previous incidents of violent behaviour at school.

The prosecutor said: "Mr Davis held his hand out and took the knife from (the defendant).

"At the same time the headteacher, Mr Pender, placed his arm around (the defendant)'s shoulder and took him along the corridor to his office."

Mr Thyne earlier told the jury how Harvey was stabbed in the heart with a hunting knife which had a 13cm, serrated-edged blade.

He said the defendant "admits that he stabbed Harvey causing his death" and "also admits that the stabbing was not carried out in lawful self-defence."

The teen sat in the glass-fronted dock, wearing a white shirt with no tie, as Mr Thyne outlined the case against him, flanked by a number of adults, including an intermediary.

The trial continues.