A youth convicted of stabbing to death a 13-year-old boy during a drug-related row has been handed a life sentence with a minimum term of eight-and-a-half years.
The teenager, who cannot be identified after a judge ruled that his welfare and prospects of rehabilitation outweigh the public interest in naming him, was convicted in April by a majority verdict of murdering Jahziah Coke, who suffered a six-inch deep chest wound.
Passing sentence at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Mrs Justice Tipples told the defendant that she was sure he had “intended to kill” Jahziah after pushing or moving a knife around his neck.
She told the boy: “When you killed Jahziah, he was only 13 and a child with everything in life ahead of him. This was a nasty and violent attack.”
During her sentencing remarks, the judge accepted that the weapon used in the killing belonged to Jahziah and was taken from him by his killer at an address in Oldbury, West Midlands, in August last year.
The defendant, who denied deliberately inflicting any injuries, fled over fences and then caught a bus to a friend’s house to play video games in the hours after the killing, his trial heard.
He also told the jury during his evidence in March that he was left traumatised after grabbing Jahziah’s hands while being threatened with a knife, which he twisted towards the floor during an attempt to calm down an argument about a “missing” quantity of cannabis.
He also told jurors he did not have the knife in his own hands and had dialled 999 to summon paramedics, only leaving the property once he believed Jahziah was dead.
During the sentencing hearing on Friday, Mrs Justice Tipples accepted that there was no premeditation, but ruled that the defendant was not acting in self-defence and that his actions were “completely out of proportion” to the possible threat he faced.
Prior to sentence, the defendant’s lawyer, Paul Lewis KC, told the court during mitigation: “The evidence at the trial was that (the defendant) has never had a knife, has never carried a knife and had never been seen with a knife.
“I am sorry to say it but that was not the position vis-a-vis the deceased.
“It was accepted from the very beginning by the Crown that the knife used in this case was not (the defendant’s).”
In a statement issued following the case, Emily Clewer, a senior crown prosecutor at the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service, said: “This is a deeply tragic case where Jahziah Coke lost his life and entire future senselessly to knife violence.
“Jahziah Coke’s family and loved ones have suffered unimaginable pain and loss, and our thoughts are with them as they deal with the aftermath of this tragedy.
“The teenager responsible for this murder will now face the consequences of his actions in ways that will irrevocably change the trajectory of his life.
“While today’s sentencing cannot undo the awful events that transpired that day, we hope it sends a strong message about the devastating impact of knife crime and how it can destroy lives, families and futures.
“There are no excuses for carrying or using knives to harm and kill, and the CPS will continue to work tirelessly with the police and partners to tackle knife crime and bring offenders to justice.”
