Boy, 15, found guilty of murdering teenager

Muhammad Hassam Ali, 17, died after he was stabbed in Victoria Square, Birmingham

A 15-year-old boy has been found guilty of murdering a teenager who was stabbed in the heart.

Muhammad Hassam Ali, known as Ali, died in hospital hours after he was attacked in Victoria Square, Birmingham, on 20 January.

Two 15-year-old boys, who cannot be named because of their age, have been on trial for 17-year-old Ali's murder and for possession of a knife at Coventry Crown Court.

On Friday, a jury found one of them guilty of murder and possessing a knife while the other was convicted of manslaughter and possessing a knife.

The court heard Ali and a friend got hot chocolate at a coffee shop before heading to the square where they "simply sat down chatting and using their phones".

They were then approached by the two youths who had followed them from Grand Central Shopping Centre.

They asked Ali and his friend if they knew who had “jumped a mate” of theirs a week before and where they came from.

The killer alleged Ali and his friend told them to go away before Ali allegedly told them he didn't know what he was talking about and said a phrase involving an expletive.

The court heard one of the youths then pulled out a large knife and stabbed Ali in the chest before fleeing the scene.

The boy who had the knife told the jury he only pulled it out to scare Ali and his friend and that he did not intend to harm or kill anyone.

He said he carried a knife for protection as he had been attacked several times before and that he felt "regretful and upset" when he learned of Ali’s death.

Ali was attacked while he was with his friend in Birmingham city centre

The other youth, who did not give evidence during the trial but spoke to police after he was arrested, said he had been "shocked and crying" after the attack, claiming he did not know his friend had a knife on him until he produced it during the confrontation.

He said he tried to convince him to leave the pair alone so they could go and get food as planned.

He also said he had never seen Ali or his friend before and only went along with the killer in case he "got battered".

There were sobs from the public gallery as the jury of six men and six women returned their unanimous verdicts on Friday.

The teenagers will be sentenced on a date to be fixed in early October.

Det Insp Michelle Thurgood, of West Midlands Police, said it was "horrific" that the boy was carrying "such a large knife" around Birmingham city centre during the day.

“It is frightening that youths think it is acceptable and don’t think twice about the consequences of their actions - not only on the victim but on themselves and any other witnesses," she said.

Insp Colin Gallier, who works on an anti-knife crime initiative, said the issue among young people in the city was an "ongoing challenge".

“It’s truly concerning that we’ve got a high rate of young people in our communities carrying knives and it’s something that West Midlands Police is fully aware of,” he added.