Holly Newton: Schoolgirl felt 'stalked' by a teen who stabbed her to death, jurors told

A schoolgirl felt "stalked" by a teenager who then followed her around town after school and stabbed her to death, jurors have been told.

Holly Newton, 15, was killed by a boy who was carrying a kitchen knife in a confrontation in Hexham, Northumberland, it is claimed.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Holly was repeatedly stabbed in a back lane and when a 16-year-old boy tried to step in to help her, he was also stabbed.

The court heard that after the stabbing, the boy - who cannot be named because of his age - briefly started to cry and said: "Oh, what have I done?"

Prosecutor David Brooke KC told the court the teen had been trying to speak to Holly before her death.

Holly told a friend in a message on the morning that she died: "So he's basically stalking me at this point." She also said: "He's going to follow me until I talk to him."

The court heard Holly suffered 36 injuries caused by the knife, which broke during the attack, that lasted at least one minute.

Mr Brooke said 12 of them were stab wounds, to her face, head, back and chest, and 19 others were caused by a "slashing motion", including five to her hands, where she had tried to stop the attack.

A 17-year-old denies the murder of Holly and wounding charges in relation to the boy.

He has admitted manslaughter, as well as possession of a bladed article, and claims his "mind went blank" when he carried out the stabbing, which prosecutors do not accept.

Mr Brooke told the court Holly had left school for the day on 27 January last year and walked into Hexham, where she visited some shops with two others.

Mr Brooke said: "CCTV in the town centre shows that shortly before 4pm [the defendant] was following those three, at a distance.

"You will be able to watch the CCTV and it is quite clear he was being careful not to be seen by them for the next 45 minutes or so."

The court heard the deadly confrontation happened when Holly and others stopped off at a pizza shop.

Mr Brooke said the defendant initially stayed out of sight but eventually he ended up speaking to Holly in a back lane near the eatery.

He added: "What Holly didn't know is that he had a knife with him."

The court heard what happened in the lane was not captured on any cameras, but the boy who was stabbed heard her screaming.

Mr Brooke said: "He heard Holly's screams and ran into the alleyway. He said at first he didn't fully understand what was happening but could see [the defendant] was attacking her.

"He saw Holly on the ground and pulled [the defendant] off in a headlock, but he was then attacked himself and also received stab injuries.

"He then ran for help to the pizza shop next to the alleyway.

"There were passers-by and people in the shop who also went to stop [the defendant]. He was pulled off Holly while still stabbing her."

The court heard a customer ran from the pizza shop after the injured youth went in for help.

Mr Brooke said: "Using a torch he happened to be carrying at the time he saw someone was lying on the floor of the alley with someone on top of the person on the ground.

"He saw a male forcefully using a stabbing motion in the direction of the person's chest area.

"When he reached [the defendant] he pushed him on the ground and, with the help of another man who again was just passing-by, they managed to pin him against the wall of the alley.

"By that time Holly wasn't responding at all."

The court heard Holly was taken by ambulance to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle and "all efforts" were made to save her but she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

Mr Brooke said CCTV around the alleyway indicates that the attack lasted for "at least one minute".

The trial continues.

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