Britain's youngest knife murderers sentenced for machete stabbing of teenager Shawn Seesahai

Britain’s youngest knife murderers, who were aged 12 when they killed Shawn Seesahai with a machete, have both been sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court.

Two 13-year-old boys found guilty of murdering teenager Shawn in a random and "senseless" machete attack have been sentenced to at least eight years and six months in custody. This includes the time they have spent already in custody.

This means the boys could walk free at 20 years old when released from custody.

The killers, both from Wolverhampton, were convicted in June of murdering the 19-year-old, who was stabbed in the heart and suffered a skull fracture on the city’s Stowlawn playing fields on November 13 last year. They were 12 at the time of the murder.

They are believed to be the youngest defendants convicted of murder in Britain since Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, both aged 11, were found guilty in 1993 of killing two-year-old James Bulger.

However, they will not be named after High Court judge Mrs Justice Tipples rejected a media application in July.

She said the welfare of the youths outweighed the wider public interest and open justice principles.

Both youths were allowed to leave the dock and sit in the back row of the court benches on Friday as High Court judge Mrs Justice Tipples began her sentencing by acknowledging the sentence being passed would be no comfort to the victim’s family.

The judge told the boys: “When you killed Shawn he was 19, starting out in his adult life with everything to live for.

“His parents have lost their son. His sister has lost her brother.

“What you did is horrific and shocking. You did not know Shawn, he was a stranger to you. You both killed Shawn in an attack that lasted less than a minute when he asked you to move (from a bench).

“I am sure you intended to kill him.”

The judge added that she could not be sure which of the boys had inflicted a 23cm-deep wound which almost passed all the way through Mr Seesahai’s body.

Shawn's family said: "It has left a huge hole in the pit of our stomach, that nothing can fill. We are devastated as a family, totally heartbroken and confused."

But, in their impact statement they made it clear the cost was not only emotional, saying: "No one expects to have to bury their own child.

"We were not prepared for this. In order to repatriate Shawn's body back home from the UK, we had to use all of our savings.

"In order to then fly back to the UK to attend the trial, we had to take out a loan to fund flights and accommodation. The impact on us as a family is devastating."

Why were the 12-year-olds sentenced for a minimum of eight years?

Explaining her reasons for the length of the minimum terms after the boys were taken down to begin their sentences of detention, High Court judge Mrs Justice Tipples said the murder was aggravated by the fact it was an attack involving two offenders.

Mitigating factors included the fact the “spur-of-the-moment attack” was not premeditated, and the young age of the defendants, who were told they will remain in separate secure units where they were held on remand during their trial.

The “extremely vulnerable” first defendant, who admitted buying the murder weapon from a friend for £40 around a month before the attack, had been “groomed and exploited” by others, the court heard.

The judge said the first defendant had had “very many adverse childhood experiences” including falling victim to exploitation by criminals and “multiple traumas” in childhood for which he was not responsible.

“I agree with the authors of the (pre-sentence) report that he does not at this stage have the maturity to fully appreciate the consequences of his actions,” the judge added.

The court heard the second defendant had a supportive and loving relationship with his parents and was not previously known to the police.

'Shawn Seesahai lost his life in a horrifically cruel way'

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesman said the two killers “should have been enjoying their childhood rather than arming themselves with a machete and killing an innocent person”.

Jonathan Roe, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "As prosecutors, we often deal with harrowing cases, but this case is particularly distressing due to the complete senselessness and devastating consequences of the defendants' actions.

“The defendants at the age of 12 should have been enjoying their childhood rather than arming themselves with a machete and killing an innocent person.

“Shawn Seesahai lost his life in a horrifically cruel way. I hope today’s sentencing serves as a reminder of the dangers of carrying machetes.

“Shawn's family have shown remarkable strength and dignity in the aftermath of such a tragedy and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.”

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