Keir Starmer 'shocked to his core' over Wolverhampton machete murder
Sir Keir Starmer has said that a barbaric machete murder in the Midlands 'shocked him to his core'. The Prime Minister said it was 'hard to believe' that 12-year-old children could carry out a 'murder so brutal'.
His comments came after two schoolboys were detained for life for their terrifying slaughter of Shawn Seesahai in Wolverhampton last year. The friends executed their victim in Stowlawn playing fields, in East Park, 'within seconds' of crossing paths.
A fatal stab wound to his back pierced his heart and lungs, with the blade almost coming out of his chest. The killers - who are now 13 - also 'chopped at' his head with the 42.5cm machete.
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On X, formerly known as Twitter, Sir Keir said: "When I read about Shawn Seesahai’s murder last November, I was shocked to my core. In my five years as Director of Public Prosecutions, I never encountered a case like this.
"That a murder so brutal could be carried out by 12-year-olds is hard to believe. Young children should not have access to knives.
"We need to tackle the crisis head on. My government is committed to halving knife crime and taking back our streets."
The killer children were sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court earlier today (Friday, September 27). They were each handed minimum terms of eight years and six months.
It means they will be eligible for release by the Parole Board when they are 20 - as the time they spent on remand since their arrest last November will count towards their sentence. The boys were friends and from Wolverhampton
Mr Seesahai - from the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla, in the Caribbean - did not know his killers. The 19-year-old had come to the UK for eye treatment and to continue his education.
He was living in Handsworth at the time of his death. The victim had been with a friend in the park when he was 'shoulder barged' by one of the boys and then attacked by both of them.
The 'loving' son had tried to escape but had tripped moments before he was ambushed, a trial heard. Both boys denied murder but were convicted by jurors in June.
One of the boys - who confessed to jurors he had bought the knife for £40 and taking it to the scene - admitted having an article with a blade or a point before his trial. The second boy denied the charge but was convicted by jurors.