Khayri Mclean: Jury retires in Huddersfield schoolboy stabbing murder trial

Khayri Mclean died after he was stabbed near North Huddersfield Trust School in September 2022

The jury in the trial of a 17-year-old boy accused of murdering a teenager as he walked home from school has retired to consider its verdict.

Khayri Mclean, 15, was stabbed twice in what prosecutors say was a "well-planned and targeted" attack outside North Huddersfield Trust School.

The defendant, who is on trial at Leeds Crown Court, denies murdering Khayri on 21 September 2022.

A 15-year-old boy has already pleaded guilty to a charge of murder.

Neither of the boys can be named due to their age.

'Screaming very loudly'

During his trial, the court heard Khayri was with several friends walking up Woodhouse Hill when two youths "dressed head to toe in black" and wearing balaclavas leapt out of an alleyway and attacked him.

Prosecutor George Hazel-Owram said one of the group saw one of the boys run at Khayri, swinging the knife towards his shoulder "like some kind of ninja" and stabbing him the chest.

He said the blade went through his ribs and penetrated one of his lungs and heart.

The court was also shown CCTV footage of the attack, which captured Khayri being helped to his feet by a friend and walking back towards school where he collapsed minutes later.

He was taken to Leeds General Infirmary where he underwent emergency surgery, but died later the same day

The court was told he died as a result of a stab wound to the chest, which was inflicted by the 15-year-old.

A second stab wound to the leg, inflicted by the 17-year-old, did not contribute to his death.

Prosecutors say that although this defendant did not deliver the fatal blow he is guilty of murder because the pair acted together and were "encouraging and supporting each other to carry out that attack".

Giving evidence, the 17-year-old denied targeting Khayri, telling the court he went to the scene for a "fist fight" with another youth.

He told the jury he was running with a knife in his hand when he swung at Khayri's leg because he thought he was trying to "kick me to the floor".

The teenager told the court he did not realise he had stabbed Khayri in the leg until later.