Timeline: How two 12-year-olds became Britain's youngest knife murderers
On 13 November 2023, Shawn Seesahai, aged 19, was murdered by two 12-year-olds in a random knife attack in a park in Wolverhampton.
On Friday 27 September 2024, the schoolboys, now 13, were sentenced to life, with a minimum of eight years and six months in custody.
This means the boys could walk free at the age of 20.
At ITV News Central, we have revealed how it all unfolded:
Sunday 12 November 2023:
Shawn was stabbed to death on Laburnum Road in Bilston.
He died from being stabbed with a machete in the heart, being beaten and kicked, and suffering a skull fracture on Wolverhampton's Stowlawn playing fields.
At this time, Shawn had not been named. A murder investigation was launched.
Wednesday 15 November 2023:
Two 12 year old boys were arrested on suspicion of murder.
Friday 17 November 2023:
Two 12 year old boys charged with murder.
Friday 8 March 2024:
West Midland Police say they cannot arrest or enforce their way out of what they called a knife crime epidemic.
Thursday 2 May 2024:
Trial began with the prosecution alleging that both 12 year old boys had acted together in a vicious attack. They both denied murder.
The jury heard how their victim had done nothing to offend them and that this was an "unprovoked" attack.
A month-long trial was told that Mr Seesahai was shoulder-barged by the smaller of the two defendants, who “often” carried a machete with a 42.5cm-long blade, before being punched, kicked, stamped on and “chopped” at with the weapon.
The victim’s friend told the trial he was forced to run for his life but Mr Seesahai stumbled as he tried to flee from the boys.
Monday 10 June 2024:
The two 12-year-old boys were convicted of murder. It is believed they are the youngest knife murderers in UK history.
Wednesday 31 July 2024:
The judge ruled the two 12-year-olds will not be publicly named.
The judge rejected an application to name the the boys who killed Shawn Seesahai with a machete, saying their welfare outweighed other factors.
Thursday 26 September 2024:
The sentencing of the two boys began.
The victim’s friend told the trial he was forced to run for his life but Shawn stumbled as he tried to flee from the boys.
In an interview released after the verdicts, Shawn's parents Suresh and Maneshwary have said they will never be able to get over the loss of their son who always told them he would “shine” and take care of them.
Speaking for the first time since their son was murdered, Suresh Seesahai said he feels sorry for the parents of the killers and only hopes that “justice” is served for his son.
Friday 27 September 2024:
The boys, now 13 years old, have been sentenced to life in custody, with a minimum of eight years and six months.
The boys could walk free at 20 years old.
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.
A senior West Midlands Police officer has said the murder of Shawn Seesahai was both “shocking and saddening” after his killers were jailed.
Chief Superintendent Kim Madill, speaking outside Nottingham Crown Court after the sentencing, said: “Shawn was only 19 when his life was taken at the hands of two boys, then aged just 12, who had armed themselves with a machete.“
"That reality has had a huge impact on us all, it is both shocking and saddening. The impact of knife crime is devastating no matter where you live in the country, this is an issue that affects us all."
Much work has been done and we have had successes in some areas, however, this is clearly not enough.
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