Youth sentenced for murdering 15-year-old Harvey Willgoose in Sheffield School

A youth today (22 October 2025) has been sentenced to life with minimum of over 15 years detention for murdering - 15-year-old Harvey Willgoose in the courtyard of a Sheffield school in February 2025.

Mohammed Umar Khan,15, was also found guilty carrying a hunting knife into school premises at Sheffield Crown Court.

He took the 13 cm serrated edged blade into All Saints High School on 3rd February and at 12.15pm stabbed fellow pupil Harvey Willgoose. Within a minute Harvey lost consciousness and died.

It was understood the defendant and Harvey had previously been on good terms but fell out over a fight between two other pupils at the same school with each taking opposing sides.

Their fallout escalated on to social media chat, snap chat, with threats being made between them.

At an earlier hearing, the defendant admitted that he stabbed Harvey causing his death. He accepts his action would amount to manslaughter.

Building the case: losing control. Murder not manslaughter

The prosecution case was that his actions amounted to murder and not manslaughter.

The defendant claimed that it was a case of losing self-control and this amounted to manslaughter. However, the CPS working alongside South Yorkshire Police, were able to disprove his defence.

The evidence showed he had deliberately concealed and taken a knife into school. He had also previously ignored a friend’s request to hand over the knife on that day to avoid doing “something stupid”.

CCTV footage of the stabbing showed the defendant stabbing Harvey twice, once in the chest and once to the abdomen.

Together the prosecution team were able to unravel the defence arguments that a 15-year-old boy with normal tolerance and self-restraint might have acted in the same way as the defendant did on that fateful day in February.

Chris Hartley, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Very sadly knife crime continues to be an awful

blight on local communities leaving people completely devastated by the senseless loss of young lives.

“We would like to express our huge sympathies for family and friends of Harvey Willgoose.

“We hope that this sentence brings some comfort to the Willgoose family that justice has been served here today.

“The CPS and South Yorkshire Police were able to prove that the defendant did not lose self-control but intended to deliberately attack 15 year old Harvey.

“We remind teenagers that there can be horrendous and serious consequences of carrying knives. It has been proven that if you carry these weapons, you are more likely to use them or be a victim of knife crime. You are putting yourself, other people and your future at risk.

“Please stop carrying knives and stop putting lives in danger.”