Teen tells jury he ordered knife used to stab schoolboy Harvey Willgoose 'for protection'
The teenager was asked about the weapon as he gave evidence for a fifth day at Sheffield Crown Court, where he is on trial for the murder of Harvey Willgoose.
Harvey, who was also 15, died after being stabbed at All Saints Catholic High School, in Sheffield, on 3 February.
The defendant has admitted manslaughter and taking a knife to school but denies murder.
On Wednesday, the boy was asked by Richard Thyne KC, prosecuting, whether it was 'days, weeks or months' before Harvey's death that he ordered the knife online.
The boy said: 'Weeks or months. I'm pretty sure it was weeks.'
He then said he thought it was 'after 16 January'.
The jury has heard about an incident in the school on January 16, when the defendant was involved in a fight with another student and ended up repeatedly punching a wall in an inclusion room.
Mr Thyne asked the boy why he ordered the knife, and he replied: 'For protection'.
The boy admitted he had pictures of 'lots of different kinds of knives' on his phone. The prosecutor asked him why he chose that particular weapon.
The defendant told the jury: 'Because it was a scary knife.
'Somebody would try and attack me and I would pull it out and they wouldn't try and attack me.'
Mr Thyne asked him about a number of photos on his phone of showing him with the knife.
The boy said he posted two of them on social media.
The prosecutor asked: 'To send a message out you weren't to be messed with?'
The boy agreed and said he wanted some people to believe he carried a knife.
Asked by Mr Thyne if he wanted some people to believe he was prepared to use the knife, the defendant told the jury: 'No. Not really. But, if they saw I had a knife, they wouldn't really want to mess with me.'
The jury at Sheffield Crown Court has been shown CCTV footage of Harvey being stabbed in a courtyard at the school at lunchtime on February 3.
The court has heard that the defendant, who cannot be named, has admitted manslaughter but denies murder.
He has also admitted possession of a knife on school premises.
On Wednesday, the boy was asked by Mr Thyne: 'Had you tried to provoke him (Harvey)?'
When the defendant said 'no', Mr Thyne asked him: 'Had you tried to wind him up earlier in the day?'
The boy replied: 'No, it was the other way around.'
Mr Thyne then asked: 'Were you trying to get Harvey to do something to you so you could let out your anger?'
Again the boy replied 'no'.
The defendant told the jury how he also bought another knife online, which was based on a design from the video game Assassin's Creed.
Mr Thyne said: 'Did you have a reputation for having an interest in knives?'
Th boy said: 'Not really.'
He added: 'That's not what I'm known for.'
The defendant has said he was subjected to racist bullying on social media and taunts about a medical condition while he was at a number of Sheffield schools.
He said in evidence he could not "control" his anger.
The trial continues.
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