'Harleigh's final visit' - Grandfather of murdered teen speaks of visit to West Park and his love for Wolves
The grandfather of murdered teenager Harleigh Hepworth spoke in court of his emotional and mental trauma over the death - and of his grandson's love for football and Wolves.
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Reading his own victim impact statement at Manchester Crown Court, Martin Hepworth, who was the sole guardian of Harleigh, said the youngster, aged 17 and from Rugeley, was making his 'final visit'' to where he would meet his death, in West Park.
He said: "Harleigh was about to start a new life with his girlfriend Sienna and both were planning to join me and my fiancée in moving away from this area.
"He was about to put any involvement in drugs behind him and concentrate again on football which was a shared passion of both of us.
"We used to follow Wolves and loved going to the Molineux, to watch them. Now when I go, I find myself treading the same streets that appeared on CCTV after his killing, just a short distance away in West Park, and each time it is emotionally draining."
Mr Hepworth recalled the 'mental torture' after he had received a call to say Harleigh been stabbed and he spent hours making telephone calls to every A&E department in the region desperately trying to find information.
He said: "It was like torture not knowing what had happened to him conclusively and not being able to find out where he was.
"When the police called me and then you get the knock on the door it was even worse and then his body hadn't been recovered and is still in West Park, it makes me desperate thinking of him all alone and cold.
"The questions kept coming at me - why now? Why did he go and meet these lads and why was he murdered?
"I had to plan the funeral instead of the next holiday we were going to go on, something we loved to do as a family.
"The pictures I found for the funeral brought everything back including the football ones, he had such a skill and love for the game which he had rediscovered."
His sister Millie said Harleigh's death had impacted on her university studies in forensic science and criminology, which had partly been put back due to the stress and time of the court case.
Breaking down as she spoke she said: "Seeing him at the chapel of rest was heartbreaking and shocking and to hear all the details in the court case, which I estimate I had to travel 1,500 miles to over six weeks, it ate into studying time and put me financially into debt.
"I hit rock bottom and I am now undergoing therapy, but most of all I will miss speaking to my brother on the phone and in person, something which will never happen again."
Defending the 17-year-old, who cannot be named, Mohammed Naser said he had shown promise until Year Eight at school when his father's cancer impacted on him.
He said: "He became vulnerable and ripe for exploitation and being preyed upon by others higher up the chain."
A 17-year-old who cannot be named has been jailed for life for Harleigh's murder, while accomplice Jovarn Esterine was also sentenced to prison.
Defending Esterine, Paul Lewis said there was no significant planning involved in the stabbing.
He said: "Rather than an intention to kill it was more a case of planning to cause serious harm.
"It was done in broad daylight, a single stab wound, and he has had many months to contemplate his actions and has expressed deep regret and remorse."
