Two 12-year-old boys have been found guilty of murdering Shawn Seesahai, 19, in Wolverhampton. The verdict marks them as the youngest convicted murderers in Britain since 1993.
Jurors unanimously convicted the boys on Monday for the brutal attack that took place on November 13, last year. Seesahai, unarmed and defenseless, was walking with a friend through Stowlawn playing fields when he was attacked.
One boy regularly carried a machete, which they passed between themselves before the attack. Seesahai was shoulder-barged and struck on the skull, causing a piece of bone to break off. He suffered a fatal 23cm-deep stab wound that nearly penetrated his entire body.
Following the verdict, Seesahai's parents, Suresh and Maneshwary, expressed their grief. They described their son as a caring individual who promised to take care of them. Suresh expressed sympathy for the parents of the killers and hoped for justice.
The defendants, whose names remain confidential for legal reasons, had incriminating evidence on their phones, including knife images and searches related to criminal activity. Nottingham Crown Court heard that one boy searched for "how many criminal records can you have to leave the country" the day after the murder.
Seesahai, originally from Anguilla in the Caribbean, lived in Birmingham and had come to the UK for cataract treatment. On November 13, he visited Wolverhampton with friends. The 12-year-olds were together from 4:10 pm, meeting two girls who testified as witnesses.
Michelle Heeley KC told the court the boys engaged in a joint attack on a defenseless man. She stated they intended to kill or cause serious harm. Seesahai's injuries were severe; the machete strike to his skull caused a bone fragment to detach, and a deep stab wound pierced his body from back to front.
Seesahai's friend, present during the attack, called the police. Despite attempts at CPR, the severity of Seesahai's injuries made survival impossible.
The boys denied the charges and blamed each other, although one admitted possessing the machete. They showed no remorse, even cleaning the machete with bleach and hiding it under a bed. Hours after the murder, they played video games, claiming ignorance of Seesahai's death until the following day.
Seesahai's parents questioned how such young children could access a machete. Suresh remarked on the changing nature of today's youth, while Maneshwary emphasized the need for strict parenting.
Detective Inspector Damian Forrest condemned the use of a large machete, typically a gardening tool, in the crime. Jonathan Roe, senior crown prosecutor for CPS West Midlands, called the act a "horrifying and random act of brutality."
