Khayri Mclean: Boy killed near school by 'youths lying in wait'

Khayri Mclean, 15, died after he was stabbed near the entrance to North Huddersfield Trust School

A boy was killed outside his school by two youths who were lying in wait for him wearing balaclavas and carrying knives, a court heard.

Khayri Mclean, 15, was stabbed near the entrance to North Huddersfield Trust School and later died in hospital.

Leeds Crown Court heard that as he left for the day, Khayri was met by two boys, aged 15 and 16, who "charged" towards him aggressively.

The younger boy admits murder, the older denies it.

Prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC told the court the 15-year-old had shouted "Oi Khayri" or "Yo Khayri" before jumping in the air, swinging a knife with a 30cm blade and stabbing Khayri.

This proved to be the fatal blow as it went through his ribs and penetrated one of his lungs and heart, the court was told.

Mr Sandiford said Khayri fell to the floor and was "defenceless on his back" when the 16-year-old went after him, knife in hand, and stabbed him again.

"Fortunately, Khayri was able to lift his legs to block the blow and so the knife penetrated his lower leg rather than a more vital part of his body," the prosecutor said.

Khayri Mclean was stabbed near the entrance to North Huddersfield Trust School on 21 September 2022

The jury was told that the 15-year-old had pleaded guilty to murder. The 16-year-old, who has since turned 17, denies murdering Khayri and is on trial.

Mr Sandiford told the court that although the older defendant did not inflict the fatal blow on 21 September 2022, he is guilty of murder because the pair acted together, "encouraging and supporting each other to carry out that attack".

"This was not an act of spontaneous violence but a planned attack in which [the defendants] armed themselves with knives, changed some of their clothing and wore balaclavas to hide their identities before going to lie in wait to attack Khayri as he walked home from school," he said.

After attacking Khayri, the boys ran away together, before stopping to remove their balaclavas and the clothing worn for the attack, Mr Sandiford said.

"Those items, and most likely the knives used to murder Khayri, were left in bags, concealed in woodland, from where they were later retrieved and disposed of by others," he told the court.

Having changed their appearances, the boys calmly walked to within a short distance of where Khayri lay fatally injured in the street, he added.

'Pack of lies'

The court was also told that the older defendant's mother had texted him in the aftermath of the incident saying: "Your enemy has been stabbed and it doesn't look good."

Mr Sandiford said the 17-year-old has since claimed that he went to the school to confront another person who he believed had broken windows at his mother's house.

He was concerned this person and his friends might have knives, so he picked up "a small kitchen knife to defend himself if necessary", the court was told.

He did not name his co-defendant, but said "another boy" offered to come with him, and when a group of pupils approached them, the other boy rushed at them and he "instinctively" followed.

The boy claims he swung his knife at Khayri "in panic" as he "feared he would be attacked".

Mr Sandiford described the claim as "a pack of lies".

"The prosecution says this was a well-planned and targeted attack on Khayri Mclean with the intention of killing him or at least causing him really serious harm," he added.

The trial continues.