Coach of fatally stabbed Sekou Doucoure says teen wanted to leave 'dangerous' Birmingham
Sekou Doucoure's football coach told ITV News Central that in a series of texts, the fatally stabbed teen told him that Birmingham was a "very dangerous" place.
The football coach of a teenager who was fatally stabbed in Birmingham said the 16-year-old told him how dangerous the city was.
Ex-Nottingham Forest academy player Sekou Doucoure was stabbed on 12 July last year at an Esso petrol station on Nursery Road in Lozells.
Pierre Thomas, 18, of Birmingham, and a 17-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons, were sentenced at Coventry Crown Court.
The man who stabbed Sekou remains on the run.
Sekou's coach and family friend Rodrick Maveso says he has messages from Sekou talking about how dangerous it could be Birmingham and how he wanted to come back to Nottingham.
Mr Maveso also said how he had asked Sekou to move to Nottingham but says he feels guilt as he didn't follow them up.
He said: "I have a conversation with Sekou he was telling me how Birmingham was dangerous that he wanted to come back to Nottingham.
"I even asked him if he could come and live with me and he said 'yes just speak to my mum'.
"I still got those messages, that conversation that we had I think was a year before he passed away.
"Unfortunately I don't know why, I didn't follow it up and I feel guilt as well."
Mr Maveso says that he asked Sekou how was he doing and about playing in Birmingham.
He said Sekou responded saying 'Coach, Birmingham is very dangerous and there's nothing to do here' to which he told him to be carful.
Mr Maveso said they spoke about him coming back to Nottingham because he wanted to come back and he said he wouldn't mind him coming to live with him. Sekou said 'yeah just speak to my mum'.
Mr Maveso first met Sekou in 2016 and since then the families became close.
Mr Maveso said: "Sekou came to one of the sessions. He was a goalkeeper and when he came, he was very good. It was easy for him to make new friends.
"When you are good people want to be your friend.
"He was a good kid, he never caused trouble to the club, never caused trouble during the session or the matches. What I liked was the determination he had.
"He knew that he was good. He wasn't arrogant, but he had that self esteem, he had that ego where he was telling me 'coach if you give him the opportunity to go and try Nottingham Forest I'll make it. Because I know I'm very good'.
"So that's what I liked about him and he had that determination about him that really pushed him to do very well."
What happened to Sekou Doucoure?
Sekou Doucoure, 16, was stabbed on 12 July last year at an Esso petrol station on Nursery Road in Lozells.
A blank gun was fired twice at Sekou as he was riding an electric scooter before being pursued through the streets.
Pierre Thomas, 18, and a 17-year-old boy then chased Sekou, before another man found him and approached Sekou, starting a fight.
Sekou was then knifed in the chest with an eight-inch blade.
Several other young men arrived as the fight finished, including Pierre Thomas and the youth.
Pierre Thomas was sentenced to nine years for manslaughter with three years concurrent for the imitation firearm offence, less 224 days.
The 17-year-old youth was sentenced to nine years detention with three years concurrent (same offences) less 234 days.
The man who stabbed Sekou remains on the run, the court heard.
Police have named suspect Ishmael Farquharson as being involved in Sekou’s murder. He remains at large.