Teenager stabbed to death by fellow pupil at school 'after Snapchat dispute'
A 15-year-old boy was fatally stabbed with a hunting knife at school following a dispute on Snapchat, a jury at Sheffield Crown Court has heard.
Harvey Willgoose, a devoted Sheffield United fan, died after being stabbed in the heart during his lunch break at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield on February 3.
A fellow student, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is on trial charged with his murder. While the defendant has admitted to manslaughter and possession of a knife, he denies murder, reports the Mirror.
The court was told just days before his death, Harvey had expressed fear about returning to school. In a message to his father, he wrote: 'I'm not going in that school while people have knives.' This followed an incident the previous week which led to a school lockdown.
Prosecutor Richard Thyne KC told the jury: 'The knife was thrust into Harvey's chest with such force that it penetrated his heart and cut through a rib bone.' The attack occurred only five minutes into the lunch break, at around 12.15pm.
Harvey collapsed within a minute and died on the ground. The weapon used was a 13cm serrated hunting knife, which the defendant had brought to school that day.
Thyne stated: 'The prosecution's case is that this was not manslaughter—it was murder. The defendant has admitted causing Harvey's death and concedes that it was not done in lawful self-defence. The jury must now decide whether the killing meets the legal definition of murder.'
The court heard tensions between the two boys had escalated over a previous incident involving two other pupils. Although Harvey was not present at the time, the defendant became involved, claiming to have seen a knife. Police were called and the school was placed on lockdown, though no weapon was found. Both boys later told their families they no longer felt safe at school.
Jurors were told the disagreement continued online, with the two boys clashing in a Snapchat group chat. One pupil described the exchange as 'nonstop arguing,' with Harvey accusing the defendant of targeting his friend, and the defendant responding: 'If you want to have a problem, we can have a problem.' Both were eventually removed from the group by another pupil to stop the conflict.
Despite the tension, the court heard the boys had previously been on friendly terms. The defendant had even asked to sit next to Harvey in science class.
On the day of the stabbing, both boys arrived late to school. CCTV footage played to the court showed them speaking in a corridor, with the defendant seen pushing Harvey multiple times, seemingly trying to provoke a reaction.
Harvey's death shocked the country. His family, who are attending the trial, said they were preparing for a 'tough and emotional few weeks.'
At his funeral in February, Harvey's cousin Lana Swirles paid tribute to his kind and adventurous spirit, saying: 'His laughter was contagious and his kindness knew no bounds.' His mother, Caroline, described him as a boy full of life, with a catchphrase from childhood: 'Isn't it a lovely day?'
Since Harvey's death, his parents have become vocal campaigners against knife crime. In March, they met with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to raise awareness about the issue. In a recent Facebook post, his mother urged others to take action: 'Please, please wake up. We need to stand together and get the government to listen to us. We have to try to make this country better for our children.'
The trial continues.
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
10 hours ago
- The Sun
Boy told headmaster ‘I'm not right in the head' after ‘stabbing classmate, 15, to death with hunting knife at school'
A SCHOOLBOY told his teacher "I'm not right in the head" after he stabbed his classmate to death, a jury has been told. He fatally stabbed his fellow pupil, 15, in the heart with a hunting knife at school as his classmates fled in terror. 5 5 5 Sheffield Crown Court was shown "shocking" footage of the stabbing at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield on February 3. The incident left 15-year-old Harvey Willgoose dead and other pupils fleeing "in fear and panic". The defendant "had an unhealthy and apparently longstanding interest in weapons", prosecutors told the court on Tuesday. They explained how he had photos on his phone of him posing with different weapons including hunting knives and a machete. Prosecutors also added how a police officer had given the boy advice about the dangers of carrying weapons months before after his mother found an axe in his bag. Richard Thyne KC, prosecuting, told the jury that after the fatal stabbing, the defendant told his headteacher, Sean Pender: "I'm not right in the head. "My mum doesn't look after me right, I've stabbed him." The prosecutor said the boy confirmed to Pender that he was referring to Harvey and that he had stabbed him once or twice. Thyne said: "Whilst waiting for the emergency services to arrive, he also told Mr Pender that he was carrying the knife for protection." He told the jury that the altercation took place in the school courtyard as lunch break was starting before playing CCTV footage to the jurors, telling them: "It is shocking, but it is necessary to play it." The CCTV shows Harvey appearing to put his left hand on the defendant's right arm before the defendant "takes a knife out of his left pocket, passes it across into his right hand, and then stabs twice at Harvey's torso". Thyne then said that the defendant then advances towards Harvey, who backs away across the courtyard, before "the defendant returns towards where the incident began, gesturing towards Harvey with his knife, and appearing to shout at Harvey". The video shows Harvey running towards the defendant, who then advances for a second time "bouncing on his toes, still brandishing the knife", the prosecutor said, adding that then "Harvey backs away". Thyne added that "other pupils fled in fear and panic" as the defendant went into the dining hall still holding the knife. He told the jury that assistant headteacher, Morgan Davis, arrived and "found the defendant still waving the knife around". As Mr Davis told him to hand over the knife, the defendant was saying to him: "You know I can't control it," which Thyne said the teacher took to be a reference to his anger issues, given previous incidents of violent behaviour at school. The prosecutor said: "Mr Davis held his hand out and took the knife from the defendant. "At the same time the headteacher, Mr Pender, placed his arm around his shoulder and took him along the corridor to his office." Earlier on Tuesday, Thyne told the jury Harvey was stabbed in the heart with a hunting knife which had a 13cm, serrated-edged blade. He said: "He also admits that the stabbing was not carried out in lawful self-defence." The jury has heard the defendant has admitted Harvey's manslaughter, but denies murdering him. The boy, who cannot be named, has also admitted possession of a knife on school premises. 5 5 Thyne told the jury about an incident five days before the stabbing, when two members of staff physically intervened in a dispute between two other students. The prosecutor said the defendant tried to get involved and "had to be physically restrained and removed by staff". He told the jury that the school went into lockdown after the defendant said he had seen one of the two boys with a knife, but the police who attended did not find a weapon. The prosecutor said the defendant did not go to school the following two days and a relative contacted the school to say he was "scared of going to school because of the lockdown". He said that Harvey, who was not at school when this incident happened, sent a text message to his dad saying "am not going in that school while people have knives". Thyne said this incident led to Harvey and the defendant falling out in a Snapchat group, with each siding with one of the boys involved in the initial dispute, who had been suspended. He said that in one message on February 1, Harvey sent the defendant his address, telling him that if he had a problem "you got my Addy I'll deal with it simple". Thyne said that the defendant gave police a written statement about what happened in the courtyard on February 3. He said Harvey came up to him and said: "Do you want beef, I'll have you this time." The defendant said in his statement that Harvey refused to shake his hand and "at that point I felt like he was going to attack me". He said: "Obviously, all these threats had been made to me previously and at that moment I thought he was going to use a weapon or knife against me. "Without thinking and instinctively I pulled out the knife I had in my pocket and thrust it towards Harvey. "I did this in self-defence. "It was not my intention to cause him serious harm. "At that moment I felt it was me or him, I had to protect myself." Thyne said the defendant had "had a significant history of becoming angry and using violence at school". The prosecutor said records from his previous school "show a pattern of behaviour ranging from defiance, through to the use of physical violence towards other pupils and property". Thyne said the defendant's phone had photos on it of him posing with weapons and his internet search history included terms like zombie killer knife, dagger, pocket knife, and machete. He told the jurors how, in December 2024, the defendant's mother contacted the school about finding what she described as a sword in his bag, which turned out to be an axe. A police officer visited the defendant's home and gave him advice about the dangers of carrying weapons, the prosecutor said. Addressing the jury, Gul Nawaz Hussain KC, defending, said: "He accepts what he did that day. "He accepts responsibility for the tragic and lasting consequences of his actions. "That is why he's pleaded guilty to manslaughter. "The defendant did not set out to kill or seriously hurt anyone. "The defence say his actions that day were the end result of a long period of bullying, poor treatment and violence - things that built one upon another until he lost control and did tragically what we've all seen."
Metro
11 hours ago
- Metro
Attacker pulls out huge knife and lunges at young woman in London park
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A party at a London park ended with dozens of screams after an attacker began swinging a large knife at a woman. Snapchat video captured the moment the hooded perpetrator whipped out the blade in Gladstone Park, north London, on Monday. The weapon was inches from slashing the terrified victim, as she backed away while others fled. A man filming the attack can be heard screaming, 'She backed out a shank, are you mad?' meaning she brought out a knife. Police officers descended on the scene just after 10pm after the video went viral on social media, but they could not locate the alleged knife-wielder or weapon, the force told Metro. There were no reported injuries and arrests have been made. Metro revealed that almost half of all murders in the UK over the last two years have been due to stabbings or violent incidents with a blade. Figures show that out of the 898 recorded murders in the UK over the last three years, 443 of these murders were committed using a knife, stabbing, or a sharp instrument. Data gathered from Freedom of Information Requests (FOI) from 38 police forces across the UK between 2022-2024 highlighted the worrying rise. Labour says it will bring 3,000 police officers back on the streets alongside a five-step plan to 'tackle the issue 'take back our streets'. This includes the banning of ninja swords this summer. The sword – which has become a weapon of choice for street killers in the UK – will be banned from August 1. More Trending The move follows tireless campaigning from the family of Ronan Kanda, who was killed on a Wolverhampton street in a case of mistaken identity in 2022. A spokesperson for the Met Police told Metro of the Gladstone Park incident: 'On Monday at 10.30pm, police attended Gladstone Park, Brent, having been made aware of a video on social media of a woman with a knife. 'Officers saw no one who matched the description of the woman in the video. 'No one was injured, no weapons were found and no arrests were made. Enquiries continue.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Google Maps lets you blur your house – here's why you should do it MORE: Man 'dismembered' couple and froze remains before dumping them off bridge MORE: Hottest tube line forecasted where passengers face 32°C carriage hell
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Schoolboy, 15, stabbed Harvey Willgoose with a five-inch hunting knife before declaring 'I'm not right in the head', court hears
A 15-year-old schoolboy fatally stabbed a fellow pupil with a five-inch hunting knife before telling a teacher 'I'm not right in the head', a court has heard. Harvey Willgoose, also 15, collapsed less than a minute after he was knifed in the heart at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield on February 3. Shocking CCTV footage of the attack was played to a jury as the teenager accused of murdering Harvey went on trial at Sheffield Crown Court today. Harvey's relatives wept and covered their eyes as the video showed the boys squaring up, before the defendant produced a knife and lunged at him twice. The Sheffield United fan could be seen running away before collapsing nearby while the defendant waved the knife in the air. The teenager, who cannot be named, is expected to argue his actions were a loss of control following a long period of bullying, poor treatment and violence. He has admitted Harvey's manslaughter, but denies murder. He has also admitted possession of a bladed article. Richard Thyne KC, opening the case for the prosecution today, said the stab wound that killed Harvey 'was inflicted with such force that the knife cut the bone of one of his ribs'. He added: 'It was just five minutes into the school lunch break when Harvey Willgoose was stabbed to death. It was quarter past twelve in the afternoon on Monday, February 3 this year. 'Harvey was standing in the courtyard at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield, when a knife was thrust into his chest, penetrating his heart. In less than a minute he had collapsed on to the ground, where he lost consciousness and died. He was 15 years old.' After being stabbed and retreating, Harvey was seen attempting to run at the defendant, but again backed away when the pupil moved forward with the knife for a second time. Teachers rushed to the scene and told him to hand over the weapon. One heard him say 'you know I can't control it', which he took to be a reference to his anger issues given the pupil's history of violent behaviour at school. The defendant then handed the knife over and told a teacher: 'I'm not right in the head. My mum doesn't look after me right. I've stabbed him.' It was claimed he had brought the knife to school 'for protection' because he was 'followed over the weekend' and scared of being 'jumped outside school', the prosecutor said. But Mr Thyne revealed the defendant's phone had photos of him posing with weapons and his internet search history included terms such as 'zombie killer knife', 'dagger, pocket knife', and 'machete'. He also told the jurors how, in December 2024, the boy's mother contacted the school about finding what she described as a sword in his bag, which turned out to be an axe. Police then visited his home and gave him advice about the dangers of carrying weapons. Harvey and the accused were said to have become embroiled in a dispute on the weekend before the attack, relating to a row between pupils including the defendant on January 29. On that occasion, he insisted he saw another boy in possession of a knife and the school was put into lockdown. The police were called but no blade was found. The defendant was said to be 'scared of going to school' because of the lockdown. Harvey had not regularly attended school at the time – showing up for only 20 days since the start of term. On the morning of the fatal attack, they exchanged Snapchat messages in which Harvey asked if there was 'beef' between them. The defendant replied at 7.51am: 'Nah but if u (want) beef we can hav it.' Assistant headteacher Morgan Davis that morning spoke to the defendant about the confrontation the previous week and 'specifically asked' if he had brought a weapon to school. He said he had not. CCTV footage was then played to the court of the boys passing each other outside Mr Davis's room, which the prosecutor said showed the defendant 'physically pushing' Harvey, who kept his hands behind his back. The boys were later in the same science lesson and squared up to each other, with teacher Sophie Heath-Whyte recalling them saying: 'Come on, let's take this outside.' When Harvey left the classroom, he was heard by another teacher saying 'something was about to happen'. At 12.10pm, he was stabbed. Moments earlier the accused told another pupil he was 'mad' at Harvey, before mentioning he had a knife. Harvey was declared dead from his injuries at 1.24pm. Gul Nawaz Hussain KC, for the defence, said: '[The defendant] accepts what he did that day. 'That is why he's pleaded guilty to manslaughter. [He] did not set out to kill or seriously hurt anyone. 'The defence say [his] actions that day were the end result of a long period of bullying, poor treatment and violence – things that built one upon another until he lost control and did tragically what we've all seen.'
