A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a 15-year-old boy and the attempted murder of the teenager’s mother.
Jakub Szymanski was fatally stabbed while reportedly trying to protect his mother during the attack in Manchester on Thursday.
Katarzyna Bastek survived but her son died in hospital from his injuries about an hour after emergency services were called to an address in Miles Platting.
On Monday, Suleman Altaf, 44, of no fixed address, made a brief two-minute appearance at Manchester magistrates court. He is accused of murder, attempted murder and having a bladed article in a public place.
Detectives previously said the suspect, who was arrested in Kent, was known to the victims and described the stabbing as a “domestic incident”.
Wearing a grey top and grey jogging pants, he spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth.
Relatives of Jakub looked on from the public gallery as Judge Mark Hadfield said the first two charges could only be dealt with at crown court.
Altaf was further remanded into custody and will next appear at Manchester crown court on Tuesday.
In a statement released by Greater Manchester police (GMP), Jakub’s family said he was a “funny and a cheeky boy” who loved supporting Manchester City.
It said: “Jakub was lovingly known as Kuba to his family and Jakub to his friends. He was always a popular child, making friends wherever he went due to his friendly and chatty nature.
“He always spoke his mind, he was mischievous, funny and a cheeky boy. He loved his Xbox and football, supporting Manchester City. He was like every other teenage boy and was helpful to so many people, even those he just met. To our family, he’s our hero.”
DCI Alicia Smith, from GMP’s major incident team, previously said: “A teenage boy who had his whole life ahead of him has tragically lost his life, and not only is his mother grieving at the loss of her son, but she is also recovering from what will have been, no doubt, hugely traumatic.”
