The other boy expressed his surprise and regret after the incident and claimed that he was not aware that his friend had a knife. He said he went with the attacker out of fear.

A 15-year-old boy in England was sentenced to life imprisonment for fatally stabbing 17-year-old Mohammed Hassam Ali in Birmingham city centre. The young man, whose identity cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, was convicted of murder and possession of a knife and sentenced to at least 13 years in prison.

Mohammed died in hospital after being attacked in Victoria Square in January. Earlier that day, he and a friend had been followed by two masked boys. The second boy, also 15, was found guilty of manslaughter and possession of a knife and sentenced to five years in a safe place.

During sentencing, Judge Mr Justice Garnham expressed concern about the increasing violence associated with knife crime. He stated that Mohammed’s murder sheds light on the tragic consequences of carrying a knife in public. The judge acknowledged the deep sorrow of Mohammed’s family, saying: “It is clear to me that he was a much-loved son and brother.”

In a statement, Mohammed’s family shared their grief. “We still cannot bear to think about how he died… The loss of Mohammed, or any child, is so devastating,” they said. They remembered him as a kind and friendly boy who had aspirations of becoming an engineer.

Eyewitnesses reported that Mohammed and his friend were drinking hot chocolate and chatting about cricket when they were confronted by masked boys. The attackers had followed them from the Grand Central Mall and questioned them about an earlier incident involving their friends.

During the argument, one of the boys pulled out a large knife and stabbed Mohammed in the chest before running away. The attacker later claimed he only wanted to “scare” Mohammed and did not intend to cause serious harm. He explained that he carried a knife for protection when he was attacked in the past.

The other boy expressed his surprise and regret after the incident and claimed that he was not aware that his friend had a knife. He said he went with the attacker out of fear.

Michael Ivers KC, representing the defendant, said the boy was deeply remorseful and regularly prayed for Mohammed and his family. “He truly regrets what happened,” Ivers said, emphasizing that if he could change the past, he would do so to lessen the impact on others affected by this tragedy.