A judge slammed the “cancer” of knife crime and its warped culture as he jailed two teens over the death of Yousef Makki.
The 17-year-old grammar school pupil was stabbed in Hale Barns, Cheshire, in March after a cannabis deal went wrong.
Sentencing two 17-year-olds who cannot be named, Mr Justice Bryan said: “You had an unhealthy fixation with knives all too common today. There is nothing cool about knives. Knife crime is a cancer on our society.”
Boy A was cleared of murder and manslaughter after the jury accepted he acted in self-defence. He admitted having a bladed article and perverting justice, and got 16 months at a youth jail.
Boy B was cleared of conspiracy to rob and perverting justice but admitted having a blade and got four months.
Both will serve half.
Yousef’s older sister Jade Akoum, 28, attended court after the hearing was finished to give a statement on behalf of the family, saying they knew whatever punishment handed out ‘would not be enough’.
She said: “He could have got 25 years but he got 16 months. At least he is going to jail.
“We all took a stance that we weren’t coming today. It is not enough. In eight months they will be out and back on the street and back with their families. We are never going to get Yousef back.
“‘At the moment knife crime is terrifying especially in Manchester. Four months for carrying a knife? I think it is not enough.”
Jade added that they were working to change the law around carrying knives and if they stopped one family going through what they have gone through it would be ‘worth it’.
Earlier speaking to Good Morning Britain, Yousef’s mum Debbi Makki broke down as she said: “As a mum, every parent knows you will fight for your kids whatever and we never expected this to happen to us as a family so for as long as we’re all alive, we will carry on.”
Debbi said her son was “far from a gangster. She added: “He was into his sports, his basketball, loved boxing. Very, very kind - he was just such a popular boy. Everybody liked him.”
