Teenager who murdered 13-year-old Jahziah Coke in a row over missing cannabis is jailed for eight years for 'nasty and violent attack'
The teenager, who cannot be identified, was convicted in April of murdering Jahziah Coke in Oldbury, West Midlands, in August last year.
Jahziah was found collapsed in the hallway of a house with three stab wounds – one of which penetrated six inches into his chest and almost severed a rib.
During the trial the court heard how the killer fled the scene of the murder by scaling garden fences.
After emerging onto a road he then caught the first of two buses to the home of a friend where he played video games.
Passing sentence at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Mrs Justice Tipples told the defendant that she was sure he had 'intended to kill' Jahziah after pushing or moving a knife around his neck.
She told the boy: 'When you killed Jahziah, he was only 13 and a child with everything in life ahead of him. This was a nasty and violent attack.'
Prosecutor Kevin Hegarty KC previously told the jury how Jahziah was found alone in the property at the foot of the stairs last August after a 999 call was made.
'At the time the call was made Jahziah, a 13-year-old, was bleeding heavily', the prosecutor said.
'He had three wounds to his torso. One on his chest and two on his stomach or tummy.
'And those wounds had been caused by one or more sharp knives. The wound to his chest was approximately 15cm deep - six inches give or take.'
The prosecutor said 'severe force' was used to inflict that chest wound. 'It almost completely cut through the sixth rib on his right side', he added.
Mr Hegarty said that as well as the deep wound to Jahziah's chest, the boy also suffered two stomach wounds in the attack.
He told jurors: 'One (wound) is where the knife has gone in and the other is where the point of the knife has come out, if you can imagine such a thing.'
Forensic evidence, included diluted blood found on a kitchen chair, suggested an attempt had been made to 'clean up' something or someone after the killing.
Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that after fleeing the scene, the youth arrived at an address where a friend lived with her mother. The defendant 'went into (the friend's) room where they 'hung out for three hours, playing on a PlayStation and chatting', the prosecutor said.
The court heard news eventually filtered through to the pair via Snapchat that Jahziah was dead and his alleged killer went on to give the girl and her mother 'an account of what he said happened that afternoon.'
Mr Hegarty said: 'The boy claimed there had been a row and a struggle and that Jahziah had tried to stab him.'
The boy claimed to the mother and daughter that he had tried to 'twist' his assailant's arm away from him before Jahziah 'dropped to the floor'.
Mr Hegarty added: 'He said he did not know that Jahziah had been stabbed, but nor did he explain how there were two penetrating stab wounds.
'He claimed it was all an accident and that it shouldn't have happened.'
The mother urged the teenager to go to police and a taxi was arranged to take him to a police station, the court heard. But Mr Hegarty said that while the youth duly went off in a cab, he 'didn't go into any police station'.
The defendant told jurors the 13-year-old victim had picked up a knife and threatened him before a row over 'missing cannabis' led to a non-deliberate chest injury.
The youth said he was left 'hurt and traumatised' after grabbing Jahziah's hands – twisting the knife towards the floor – and then seeing blood.
The defendant also said that he did not have the knife in his own hands and dialled 999 to summon paramedics, only leaving the property once he believed Jahziah was dead.
'He started threatening me with it', the boy said.
'He tried to go for me. I was kind of close to him and he came closer.'
Asked by defence counsel Paul Lewis KC what he had done next, the defendant said: 'Grabbed his hand – I got both of them.
'I twisted the knife towards the floor.'
The boy said he didn't know what happened next, adding: 'I just remember seeing blood and then … yeah … blood on my hands.'
Mr Lewis then asked the teenager what he remembered of how the fatal chest injury had happened.
The youth answered: 'I don't know. It all happened too fast.'
Denying that he had deliberately stabbed Jahziah in the chest or that he had taken the knife off him, the boy added that he only realised the 13-year-old had been injured when he started seeing blood.
During the sentencing hearing on Friday, Mrs Justice Tipples accepted that there was no premeditation, but ruled that the defendant was not acting in self-defence and that his actions were 'completely out of proportion' to the possible threat he faced.
Prior to sentence, the defendant's lawyer, Mr Lewis KC, told the court during mitigation: 'The evidence at the trial was that (the defendant) has never had a knife, has never carried a knife and had never been seen with a knife.
'I am sorry to say it but that was not the position vis-a-vis the deceased.
'It was accepted from the very beginning by the Crown that the knife used in this case was not (the defendant's).'
In a statement issued following the case, Emily Clewer, a senior crown prosecutor at the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'This is a deeply tragic case where Jahziah Coke lost his life and entire future senselessly to knife violence.
'Jahziah Coke's family and loved ones have suffered unimaginable pain and loss, and our thoughts are with them as they deal with the aftermath of this tragedy.
'The teenager responsible for this murder will now face the consequences of his actions in ways that will irrevocably change the trajectory of his life.
'While today's sentencing cannot undo the awful events that transpired that day, we hope it sends a strong message about the devastating impact of knife crime and how it can destroy lives, families and futures.
'There are no excuses for carrying or using knives to harm and kill, and the CPS will continue to work tirelessly with the police and partners to tackle knife crime and bring offenders to justice.'
Mrs Justice Tipples added: 'Jahziah was loved by his family and as a young boy aged 13, he had his life ahead of him.
'You intervened in an argument over cannabis. Jahziah produced a knife, his knife, and was angry.
'I'm sure that you took that knife off him, you disarmed him, and when you had done so, you attacked him with the knife.
'You pushed or moved the knife around his neck and you stabbed him twice, once to his chest and once to his abdomen.
'It was the deep stab wound to his chest which killed him.'
The judge went on to say she was sure the boy intended to kill his victim.
Mrs Justice Tipples told the youth: 'What you did in that moment has also changed your life forever.
'You will have to live with the consequences of what you did for the rest of your life.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
25 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Hundreds gather again at Essex asylum hotel in weekend of anti-immigrant protests
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside a hotel in Epping on Sunday for the fifth time to protest at the premises being used to house asylum seekers, as protests spread to other hotels over the weekend. A large police presence containing officers from multiple forces restricted contact between anti- and pro-immigrant protesters, with Essex police saying restrictions were necessary after what it described as repeated serious disruption, violence and harm to the community since the first demonstration took place on 13 July. Two men have been charged with public order offences after a protest of about 400 anti-immigration and 250 counter-protesters outside a hotel in Diss on Saturday, Norfolk constabulary said. There was a further protest outside a hotel in Canary Wharf, London, on Sunday, with the number of protesters appearing to be in the low hundreds. The demonstration in Epping, Essex on Sunday – which saw about 300-500 anti-immigrant protesters gather behind metal barriers outside the Bell hotel – was the latest in a series of protests sparked after an asylum seeker was charged with sexual assault for allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. Hadush Kebatu, 41, from Ethiopia, has denied the offences and is in custody. Protesters wore T-shirts and held up signs with the slogan 'Protect our kids', while others waved England flags. Other flags seen included one for Reform UK, and a white flag with a red cross on a purple square, as seen in America at anti-abortion demonstrations. Counter-protesters held banners including 'Don't let the far right divide us with their hatred and violence', and 'Care for refugees'. They chanted 'Refugees are welcome here' and 'Nazi scum off our streets'. Police said three people were arrested during the peaceful protest, two from the anti-hotel protest group and the other from the counter-protest group. 'I want to thank those who attended for the peaceful nature of both protests,' said Ch Supt Simon Anslow of Essex police. 'I am pleased that today has passed off without incident and I am grateful to our colleagues from other forces for their support.' In a letter sent to the Guardian, asylum-seekers said 'harmful stereotypes' about refugees did not reflect the truth. 'There are some refugees who do not behave respectfully or who do not follow the rules of the host society. But those individuals do not represent all of us,' they said. 'As with any group of people, there are both good and bad – and it is unfair to judge the majority by the actions of a few.' The letter mentioned fleeing persecution and violence. 'We refugees are not here to take advantage of the system. We are here to rebuild our lives, to work, and to contribute,' they wrote, adding: 'This letter is not a plea for sympathy, but a call for understanding and fairness.' Outside the Bell hotel, one local woman, who did not want to be named, said local people had complained about an increase in antisocial incidents since it began housing asylum seekers but felt ignored and unfairly labelled as 'far-right'. 'I'm not saying everyone in any of these hotels is up to no good. I'm not going to judge everyone, but there is no vetting,' she said. 'We won't stop until they start listening and shut this hotel down.' Activists from far-right groups including Homeland, Patriotic Alternative and the neo-Nazi White Vanguard movement have been present at previous protests. On Sunday Kai Stephens, the Norfolk branch organiser for Homeland, held a sign which said: 'Put local people first.' Stephens said: 'Unfortunately, there has to be a certain point where we turn around and say, the British people should be put first, the indigenous British people.' Supporters of the far-right activist Tommy Robinson were also present. Robinson, 42, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, had said he would attend before changing his mind and saying it would not be helpful to protesters. Wendell Daniel, a former Labour councillor who is now a film-maker for Robinson's Urban Scoop video platform, asked one man if he understood why Robinson had not attended. He responded: 'We're with Tommy all the way.' Other local protesters said that far-right agitators were not welcome. 'It's 100% unhelpful, because it just gives them a message which is not what we're trying to achieve here,' said one man, who did not want to be named. Stand Up to Racism, the group that organised the counter-protest, estimated about 700 people had gone to Epping. Lewis Nielsen, an officer at Stand Up to Racism, said Nigel Farage's Reform UK had emboldened the far right. 'It's a really dangerous situation at the moment because you haven't just got the protest here, you've got other protests coming up around the country,' Nielsen said. 'We stopped the riots last August with these kinds of mobilisations, and that's why we're pleased the one today has been successful.' Joshua Bailey, who said he grew up in Epping, said increasing anti-immigration sentiment had made his non-white friends feel vulnerable and threatened. 'It's very important that we have a positive stance towards refugees, who are people fleeing genuine tragedy and disaster,' he said. He added that he did not agree with chants that labelled protesters as fascists or Nazis. 'There is room for nuance,' he said. 'I'd like to be able to sit down in a pub with someone who had opposing views and be able to speak about it.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Police launch murder probe after body of woman, in her 20s, found in Batley after supermarket 'robbery'
A murder probe has been launched as a woman's body was found after a supermarket robbery. Police were called to reports of an armed robbery in Asda last night in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. Officers arrested a 37-year-old man at the scene on suspicion of murder and seized a knife. West Yorkshire Police said he told them there was a dead woman, in her 20s, at a property in Batley which was later found in Norfolk Street. She is yet to be formally identified. Forensic specialists were seen at the address and streets in the area have been cordoned off as they carried out their investigation. Police have warned that two other people, a man and woman, 'may have come to harm.' as a desperate hunt for the two continues. Detective Chief Inspector Dan Bates said: 'This is clearly a very serious incident, where a young woman has lost her life. Forensic specialists were seen at the address and streets in the area have been cordoned off as they carried out their investigation 'There is a heightened police presence in Dewsbury today as we work to establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident. 'Our immediate priority is to identify and locate the two people and establish whether or not they have come to any harm. 'A murder investigation is also under way [but] we do not believe there is any wider risk to the public at this time.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Woman, 18, is left with life-changing injuries after 'her hair got stuck in fun fair ride'
A woman, 18, has been left with life-changing injuries after her hair got stuck in a fun fair ride. The horrifying incident happened at Netley Marsh Steam and Craft Show in the village of Netley Marsh, Hampshire, just before 11pm yesterday. It came after the woman reportedly got her hair trapped in a set of moving rollers on the floor of the Fun House ride, a witness said, according to The Standard. Nurse Emma Perry luckily happened to be on hand to help when the girl's friend rushed off the ride desperate for assistance with attending to her terrible injuries. The practitioner, 51, who works at nearby Southampton General Hospital, said the woman was bleeding, 'screaming' and 'clearly very distressed' after 'three-quarters' of her scalp had been 'ripped off', The Echo reports. This is known as a 'degloving incident', when skin and soft tissue are torn from the muscle, connective tissue or bone underneath them. The highly serious injury often causes massive blood loss and tissue death - and can be fatal. Emergency services rushed the teen to hospital, after a section of the ride had to be cut by firefighters to extract her. Event organiser Charles Cole dubbed it a 'freak accident', which is under investigation. He continued: 'Nobody wants to hurt anyone, and we are a family business. Last night was very upsetting, especially for the man who owns the ride. 'Safety is our priority, and we sympathise with the girl and her parents.' The ride was closed for the rest of the three-day fair, which ended today. But a post on the fair's Facebook page said today: 'Good morning from day three of the show. 'Despite what you may have read or seen online, we are open and look forward to seeing you all!' Nurse Ms Perry, who had been a visitor at the funfair with her 17-year-old daughter, recalled she 'cradled' the girl's head and talked to her as first responders worked. She described the incident as 'traumatic', adding: 'I stayed with her, that is all I did really. I really feel for her and her family, they are the main priority.' The nurse questioned if funfairs like this are safe in the wake of the incident and hoped the woman made a full recovery, emphasising this should never happen again. Netley Marsh Steam and Craft Show, held on Meadow Mead Farm in the New Forest, near the town of Totton, has been held annually since 1971. It offers a range of attractions, including shows of steam engines, classic cars, motorcycles, horses and commercial, farm and works vehicles. There are also steam engine models, jousting tournaments, children's entertainers, dog agility courses, falconry shows and more. Hampshire county councillor David Harrison said he is 'shocked and saddened' by the incident. The Marchwood and Totton South representative added: 'I am sure it will be properly investigated and any necessary action taken. 'My thoughts are with the injured person, family and friends.' A Hampshire Police spokesperson said: 'We were called at 10.53pm on July 26 with reports that an 18-year-old woman had sustained potentially life-changing injuries to her head while on a ride at Netley Marsh Steam and Craft Show. 'She was taken to hospital for treatment. 'Police attended and have liaised with the Health and Safety Executive.' Netley Marsh Steam and Craft Show has been approached for comment.
