School murder accused 'abused at home', jury told

Harvey Willgoose was stabbed to death on his lunch break at school

A 15-year-old schoolboy accused of murdering a fellow pupil had suffered "physical and emotional abuse" at home, his trial has heard.

The teenager is on trial at Sheffield Crown Court for the murder of Harvey Willgoose, also 15, at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield in February.

Two consultant forensic psychiatrists agreed there was "evidence of physical and emotional abuse and neglect in the defendant's home life, including lack of food and excessive physical chastisement," the court was told earlier.

The court has heard the boy, who cannot be named, admits manslaughter and possession of a knife on school premises but denies murder.

In a statement read to the court by junior defence counsel Richard Holland, the psychiatrists said the defendant's "oppositional behaviour and defiance" was more obvious in school.

They said if he had had "appropriate boundaries and discipline," he would have better emotional regulation.

They added that incidents of aggression in the weeks and months before the alleged murder were "examples of his difficulties in controlling his emotions, including anger".

Mr Holland said another report by two psychologists found the defendant's below average levels of verbal comprehension were because of his "adverse early experiences rather than a neurodevelopmental disorder".

The court also heard a copy of Harvey's school timetable was found in the defendant's bedroom, and that only a member of staff or Harvey would have been able to print it off.

Addressing the jury at the beginning of the trial, Gul Nawaz Hussain KC, defending, said: "(The defendant) did not set out to kill or seriously hurt anyone.

"The defence say (the defendant's) actions that day were the end result of a long period of bullying, poor treatment and violence, things that built one upon another until he lost control and did tragically what we've all seen."

The trial continues.

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