A British-born Pakistani-origin schoolboy was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday for the stabbing death of a 15-year-old student at a school in Sheffield, northern England.
The name of 15-year-old Mohammed Omar Khan was made public by South Yorkshire Police after Justice Naomi Ellenbogen lifted a self-imposed ban on revealing his identity.
During the sentencing hearing at Sheffield Crown Court, the judge ruled that Khan would have to spend a minimum of 16 years in prison before he could be considered for parole.
Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Andy Knowles, South Yorkshire Police’s senior investigating officer, said: “An important finding during this trial was that Khan falsely believed that carrying a knife would keep him safe or enhance his status.”
The court was told that police were called to All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield on the afternoon of February 3 following reports of a stabbing. A six-week trial earlier this year found that Harvey Wilgoose was stabbed and Khan was arrested at the scene.
The court heard how the two boys had come into conflict over a fight at school a week earlier. Khan denied murder, but in August the court found him guilty.