Two 13-year-olds convicted of “horrible” machete murder in England – Firstpost

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 at least eight years and six months in prison.

The boys, now 13, are the youngest people to be convicted of murder in Britain since two 10-year-olds killed toddler James Bulger in 1993, one of the most notorious murders in the country's modern history.

The victim of last year's attack, Shawn Seesahai, was stabbed in the back, legs and skull in a park in Wolverhampton in November. The court found the wound to his back was 23 centimeters (9 inches) deep and penetrated his lungs and heart.

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

“Because of the nature of these injuries, I am certain that the defendants intended to kill Shawn, they acted in concert to do so, although I cannot be certain who caused the fatal stab wound. It was a spontaneous and not premeditated attack.”

The boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were found guilty of murder in June after a 20-day trial.

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

“It's hard to believe that such a brutal murder could be committed by 12-year-olds,” he said on

Seesahai, who was from Anguilla in the Caribbean, had been in the UK for about six months to undergo eye surgery and study. His mother described him 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, completely 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 attacking Seesahai, who asked them to move away from a bench, the boys fled. One cleaned the machete with bleach and put it back under his bed.