Muhammad Hassam Ali murder: High Court overturns decision to name 15-year-old killer

Two High Court judges have overturned a decision to allow the media to identify a 15-year-old convicted of a murder in Birmingham city centre.

Muhammad Hassam Ali, known as Ali, died in hospital on January 20, hours after he and his friend were followed through the city by two masked males they did not know, before he was stabbed in the chest by one of them as they sat in Victoria Square.

One youth, who was 15 years old when sentenced in November, was detained for life with a minimum term of 13 years for the murder.

The teenager was not named, pending his appeal against the decision. But in a ruling published on Friday, two judges at the High Court overturned the decision allowing the media to identify the teenager, meaning he will remain anonymous until his 18th birthday.

Lord Justice Jeremy Baker and Mr Justice Jay were previously told that the process of deciding whether to name the teenager was “unnecessarily rushed” and that the original judge did not provide sufficient reasons.

Lord Justice Jeremy Baker said in his judgment a bid to lift the anonymity was provided four days before the sentencing hearing and was “clearly not made as soon as reasonably practicable”.

The judge said the sentencing judge, Mr Justice Garnham, should have given the defendant and the youth services team more time, adding: “It risked a decision being made without evidence which it was necessary for the court to take into account.”

He continued: “There is a period of two years up until he reaches his majority which, in terms of the development of a young person, especially one who has had such a difficult upbringing, lacks maturity and may have complex needs, is a significant period of time.”

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