Youth cried after friend stabbed boy, court told

Muhammad Hassam Ali, aged 17, was fatally stabbed through the heart in Birmingham's Victoria Square earlier this year

A youth told police he "went mad" at his friend after witnessing him stabbing another teenager in the heart - and cried when he found out the victim had died, a court has heard.

The 15-year-old is on trial at Coventry Crown Court alongside his friend, also 15, who are both accused of murdering Muhammad Hassam Ali, known as Ali, in Birmingham on 20 January.

The 17-year-old died in hospital hours after he and his friend were allegedly followed through the city centre by two males they did not know.

He was stabbed in the chest as the pair sat in Victoria Square.

The court heard that two youths wearing masks and hoodies approached Ali and his friend "out of nowhere" and started asking them if they knew who had "jumped a mate" of theirs.

After a conversation lasting about four minutes, Ali allegedly told them he didn't know what he was talking about and said a phrase involving an expletive.

One youth then pulled out a large knife and stabbed him in the chest, before both fled the scene.

The youth accused of carrying out the stabbing is said to have given "no comment" interviews to police after his arrest.

His co-accused told officers he had no idea his friend was carrying a knife and was only there to support him in case he got "battered".

He said his friend wanted to follow them and a confrontation happened, in which he "was not involved at this point".

"He must have said something about my mate's mum and he gets annoyed when anyone speaks about his mum and he took out his knife and put it in the lad's chest," he said.

He said he could not remember the comment and that it was not his place to speak about it.

"I didn't know if I should help or run away," he said. "I felt like I was gonna pass out."

He said he could see Ali holding his chest with fear in his face, and heard his friend say to him: "Come, run, I've just stabbed him."

"I start to run because I didn't want to get done for it," he said.

"I didn't want anything to happen to [my friend] but I never knew he had a knife on him at that point."

'I don't like knives'

He said he did not know and had never seen Ali before the incident, adding that he was mad at his friend for stabbing him.

"I have never wished to kill anyone in my life, what he has done at that point, I was mad at him the whole time," he said.

"I know he's in the wrong, he knows he is in the wrong.

"I don't carry knives. I don't like knives."

He told police that he only found out Ali had died when he searched Google for news of the incident.

He added: "I was shocked, I was crying and everything. I was going to speak to my mum about it, but I couldn't say anything, it was just mad.

"I didn't tell anyone at school, they were just saying I looked pale."

Neither of the defendants, who deny murder and possession of a knife, or Muhammad's friend, can be named because of a court order due to their age.

The trial continues.