The teenager who murdered Sheffield schoolboy Harvey Willgoose has been named as Mohammed Umar Khan, after a judge lifted reporting restrictions, and sentenced him to life in prison with a minimum term of 16 years.
Khan, who was 15 at the time of the attack, stabbed Harvey during a lunchtime confrontation at All Saints Catholic High School on 3 February. He was found guilty of murder in August and sentenced on Wednesday by Justice Naomi Ellenbogen at Sheffield Crown Court.
It is reported that Justice Ellenbogen said Khan’s age was not sufficient reason to protect his identity, declaring that “the public will wish to know the identity of those who commit such serious offences.”
Rejecting Khan’s claims of self-defence, the judge told him he had acted out of “hurt and anger at what you considered to be his betrayal of your friendship,” and that his actions had “blighted the lives of everyone who knew Harvey.”
It is also reported that the court heard that the boys had fallen out over a school lockdown and a subsequent social media dispute. CCTV footage captured Khan pushing Harvey in the corridor before drawing a 13cm hunting knife and stabbing him twice in the chest — one wound piercing his heart.
It is reported that after the attack, Khan reportedly told the headteacher,
“I’m not right in the head. My mum doesn’t look after me right… you know I can’t control it.”
It is further reported that police later found videos and photos on Khan’s phone showing him posing with knives, along with internet searches about weaponry. His defence lawyer, Gul Nawaz Hussain KC, said Khan had been bullied and “snapped” under pressure, but admitted the crime was “inexcusable.”
“Whilst he has suffered humiliation and ostracisation in the past, it is nothing compared to the pain and loss that Harvey’s family have experienced,” Hussain said.
Harvey’s mother, Caroline Willgoose, told Sky News she felt both her son and his killer had been “let down”. Speaking outside court, she said:
“I feel like a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Harvey and his grandfather, who passed away last week, were best friends — I do feel that he is with him now.”
She said she was relieved the judge imposed a minimum term above the legal 15-year minimum, adding that her family’s campaigning had already led to knife arches being installed in some schools.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Knowles, who led the investigation, told BBC the case highlighted the “misguided belief” that carrying a knife offers safety or status.
“That knife had devastating consequences — not just for Harvey and his family, but also for Khan himself,” he said.
“If you think someone you love is carrying a knife, please make it clear that it’s not what they think it is.”
Since Harvey’s death, his family have launched a youth club and anti-knife crime campaign in his memory. His sister Sophie told the court that “the pain will remain with us for the rest of our lives,” saying Khan “didn’t just end Harvey’s life — he ended ours too.”
All Saints Catholic High School said it continues to cooperate with investigations “aimed at answering key questions about Harvey’s tragic death.”
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