Teen denies ‘red mist’ led to Makki’s death

LONDON: A teenager on trial for the murder of a grammar school pupil has been accused of stabbing his friend in the heart after “red mist” descended and he lost his temper, a court heard.

The youngster knifed Yousef Makki, 17, who was on a scholarship at £12,000-a-year Manchester Grammar School, in Hale Barns, a leafy village in Cheshire, on March 2.

The 17-year-old defendant, boy A, and a second youth, boy B, also aged 17, are standing trial, now in its second week, at Manchester Crown Court. Neither can be named because of their age.

The jury has heard boy A routinely carried a knife, smoked cannabis and made videos on his phone of him posing with blades, accompanied by rap or drill music. Prosecutors allege the background to the fatal stabbing was that earlier in the day, boy B arranged a £45 cannabis deal and the teenagers planned to rob the drug dealer. But the robbery went wrong and Yousef and boy B fled, leaving boy A to take a beating, the jury heard.

He claims he acted in self-defence after Yousef called him a “pussy”, they traded blows and Yousef pulled out a flick-knife. But Nicholas Johnson QC, prosecuting, asked the defendant: “Had the red mist taken over? Were you in such a bad mood?” Boy A replied: “No.”

Johnson continued: “That’s the truth of it, that’s why you stabbed him, because he was laughing at you and you got more annoyed?” Boy A responded: “That’s not true.”

Johnson said: “Is the truth of all this, you lost your temper? And when you lost your temper you stabbed your friend?” “No,” Boy A answered. Boy A said he did not realise at first how serious the injury to Yousef was and disposed of his knife before tending to his dying friend.

Johnson added: “You got rid of the knife before you helped your friend. And your instinct afterwards was to save your own skin?” Boy A said: “For a while, yes.”

The defendant has admitted telling lies to police scrambled to the scene that he did not know what had happened. He denies murder, but has admitted perverting the course of justice and possessing a flick knife.

Boy B is accused of lying to police at the scene about what had happened and what he had seen. He denies perverting the course of justice. He too has admitted possessing a flick knife. Both youths deny a charge of conspiracy to rob the drug dealer. The trial continues.