Girl complained of killer stalking her before attack

Holly Newton was stabbed multiple times by a teenage boy

A 15-year-old girl complained a boy was "stalking" her hours before he killed her, a murder trial has heard.

Holly Newton was stabbed multiple times in an alleyway in Hexham town centre in January 2023, Newcastle Crown Court has heard.

A 17-year-old boy, who was 16 at the time and cannot be identified, has admitted manslaughter but denies murder.

Holly's mother also contacted police to raise her concerns on the morning of the day she was killed, the court heard.

Jurors have heard the boy, who was known to Holly, had been "careful not to be seen" as he followed her for about 45 minutes through Hexham, before attacking her at about 17:00 GMT on 27 January.

In the second part of his opening speech, prosecutor David Brooke KC said the boy had gone uninvited to Holly's house in Haltwhistle the night before and had "hung around" outside for "two or three hours" before being taken home by police.

'Extremely nervous'

On the morning of 27 January, Holly was "extremely nervous" the boy would show up at her school and in a message to a friend said he was "basically stalking" her, Mr Brooke said.

Alarmed about his actions the previous night, Holly's mother contacted police at about 09:40 to express her concerns about him, the court heard.

Officers arranged to go and meet Holly and her mother at their home at 16:00 that day, but the appointment was pushed back to 20:00 as Holly "pleaded with her mother to let her go out with friends" after school, the court heard.

Jurors heard the school was made aware of her fears and arranged for Holly not to leave if the boy was seen in the vicinity.

When he was not, Holly walked into Hexham with friends on the afternoon, but the boy followed her before confronting her next to a pizza shop, the court heard.

He stabbed her multiple times before passers-by dragged him away, the court heard.

The boy accepts he killed Holly but said his mind was "blank" at the time.

He also denies wounding another youth who was injured while going to Holly's rescue.

The trial continues.