Teenager admits stabbing 15-year-old to death at Sheffield school

A 15-year-old boy has admitted killing another teenager who was stabbed with a hunting knife at a school.

Harvey Willgoose, also 15, died after he was stabbed through the heart at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield on February 3.

A teenager, who cannot be named, admitted Sheffield United fan Harvey’s manslaughter when he appeared at the city’s crown court on Monday.

But he denied murdering the teenager and will go on trial in the summer.

Judge Jeremy Richardson KC remanded the defendant, who stood in the glass-fronted dock with an intermediary and three members of security staff, into secure local authority care and told him that he will go on trial on June 30.

The boy, who was wearing a white shirt and black trousers, also admitted possession of a bladed article during the 30-minute hearing.

Judge Richardson told him: “You have pleaded guilty to manslaughter and the other offence relating to a knife.

“A jury will decide whether you are guilty or not guilty of the more serious allegation of murder.

“That trial will start on June 30 at this court.”

Harvey’s parents, Caroline and Mark Willgoose, watched the proceedings from the public gallery of Court 2, along with other members of their family.

The couple have been prominent campaigners against knife crime since their son’s death – including pushing for knife arches in schools – and they met Home Secretary Yvette Cooper about the issue in March.

The incident at the school in February shocked Sheffield and the nation.

The week before the incident, the school had gone into lockdown after there were “threats of violence” between pupils, parents were told on January 29.

Sheffield Youth Court heard earlier this year that the lockdown incident at the school which occurred the week prior “did not directly involve” the defendant or Harvey.

Harvey was remembered as a “social butterfly” who “deserved so much more” and “had dreams, plans and a future ahead of him” at his funeral in February.

The service was broadcast on a big screen outside the building for those who could not fit inside, and some mourners wore T-shirts with pictures of Harvey’s face and anti-knife crime slogans.

His cousin Lana Swirles told the congregation: “His laughter was contagious and his kindness knew no bounds.

“His adventurous spirit inspired us to enjoy life and seek out joy in the little things.”

The service heard how he loved fishing with his granddad, was “never far from a scrape” and his mother Caroline recalled that as a little boy his catchphrase was: “Isn’t it a lovely day?”

She told mourners: “One of Harvey’s great gifts was his love of people, his kindness to others and his ability to talk to anyone.”

Sheffield United was “the great love of Harvey’s life”, the service was told, and his coffin was wrapped with a Bramall Lane design.