By Azeez Ramon
A 15-year-old boy has been jailed for life for the murder of fellow schoolboy, Harvey Willgoose. The killer can today be named for the first time as Mohammed Umar Khan.
Khan, of City Road in Sheffield, was sentenced by Mrs. Justice Naomi Ellenbogen to a minimum term of 16 years behind bars. With time already spent on remand taken into account, he will serve at least 15 years and 106 days in prison.
The automatic reporting restrictions, which had previously prevented Khan from being named due to his age, were lifted today by the judge.
The Attack and Trial
Police were called to All Saints Catholic High School at 12:17 p.m. on February 3 following reports of a stabbing. Officers arriving on the scene found Harvey, also 15, had been fatally stabbed in the chest with a hunting knife by Khan, a fellow pupil. Khan was arrested at the scene.
During his six-week trial earlier this year, Khan claimed he carried the knife for self-protection, citing what he perceived as threats to his safety. The court heard that the incident stemmed from a falling out between the two boys over an altercation at the school that occurred the week prior. Although Harvey was not present at the time, the two took opposing sides in the argument.
Khan had denied murder but was found guilty by a jury in August. He had previously admitted to the charge of possessing a bladed article on school premises.
Police Reaction to Sentencing
Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Knowles, the Senior Investigating Officer on the case, offered his thoughts to the victim’s family.
“First and foremost, our thoughts today remain with everyone who knew and loved Harvey,” DCI Knowles said. “I can’t begin to imagine how harrowing this has been for his family and I want to personally thank them for the courage they have shown throughout the investigation and subsequent court process.”
DCI Knowles specifically addressed the issue of knife crime, which was a key theme during the trial.
“Something that became prevalent during this trial was Khan’s misguided belief that carrying a knife would make him safer, or that it would grant him some sort of status,” he stated. “But, in reality, that knife had devastating consequences. Not just for Harvey and his family, but also for Khan himself.”
He concluded with an appeal to the public: “What amounts to a split-second decision has had consequences that can’t be taken back and has devastated many lives; his own, Harvey’s, Harvey’s family, and the members of his own family. All those lives have been forever changed by this incident and, had a knife not been introduced into that situation on 3 February, things would almost certainly have been very different.”
DCI Knowles expressed hope that the sentence would bring a “sense of closure” to Harvey’s family. He urged parents and community members to have open conversations about the dangers of carrying weapons, stressing that “a knife is not what they think it is” and only introduces danger.
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