Tomasz Oleszak: Boy found guilty of stabbing Gateshead 14-year-old named by judge as Leighton Amies

A boy found guilty of murdering 14-year-old Tomasz Oleszak has been named by a judge.

Leighton Amies, 15, was found guilty by a jury following a three-week trial.

The media has previously been unable to name Amies, who was 14 at the time of the attack, due to his age.

Mr Justice Spencer, sitting at Newcastle Crown Court, said: “There is a public interest in trying to deflect young people from the carrying of knives, where when that happens, this kind of utterly tragic outcome can occur.”

He added: “In my judgement, the public interest in reporting fully of these proceedings, including the identity of the defendant, in fact outweighs the interests of the defendant in having the anonymity of his identity maintained.”

Earlier on Monday 17 April, Amies was found guilty of murder and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to another boy.

The defendant had already admitted to illegally carrying a knife.

Tomasz was 14 when he died after being knifed in a nature park in Gateshead last October.

The court had heard how the boy had been witnessed shouting ‘I’m going to wet you’ immediately prior to the attack, which is a slang term for ‘I’m going to stab you’.

Amies is due to be sentenced in June.

Lynsey Colling, Head of the Crown Court for CPS North East, said:  "The Crown Prosecution Service has worked closely with Northumbria Police since the beginning of this investigation to build a robust case against the boy convicted.

"A key part of this case has been the eyewitness accounts obtained from the many young people who saw this tragic incident. I would like to extend my thanks to them all for the compelling evidence that they bravely provided.

“Above all, our thoughts very much remain with the family of Tomasz Oleszak at what remains an incredibly difficult time for them. We sincerely hope that today’s conviction provides some measure of comfort to them.”

Senior investigating officer on the case, Detective Inspector Chris Deavin, of Northumbria Police, said: “This is a truly tragic case in which a teenager has lost his life and our thoughts very much remain with Tomasz’s heartbroken family and loved ones.

“Tomasz had his whole life ahead of him, he was a promising footballer and a popular pupil at his school.

“Today, Leighton Amies has been found guilty of murder but no conviction or any length of sentence will ever bring Tomasz back.

“We want to send an unequivocal message to anyone who chooses to carry a weapon of any kind or believes that violence is acceptable – the consequences can be devastating.

“Look at the pain this tragedy has caused – not only could you take away someone else’s future and destroy the lives of their loved ones, but also ruin your own and those of your family and friends.”

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