The defendant described pulling out the knife instinctively, saying he thrust it towards Harvey in what he claimed was self-defence. “Without thinking and instinctively I pulled out the knife I had in my pocket and thrust it towards Harvey. I did this in self-defence,” his statement read.
He insisted he had no intention to cause serious harm, adding: “It was not my intention to cause him serious harm. At that moment I felt it was me or him, I had to protect myself.” The boy expressed horror at the fatal outcome and sympathy for Harvey’s family.
Previous incidents cited as motivation
Earlier in his statement, the defendant explained why he brought the knife to school, describing previous incidents that left him feeling threatened. He claimed he had been warned he would be “jumped” after school and said he heard that Harvey “carries knives”.
The boy revealed he had been absent from school for five days following an earlier incident that led to a lockdown, though this did not involve Harvey. He said he “reluctantly returned” to school on February 3, admitting he took the knife “for protection and nothing more”.
Court proceedings continue
The jury has been shown CCTV footage of Harvey being stabbed in the school courtyard. The defendant, who cannot be named due to his age, has admitted manslaughter and possession of a knife on school premises but denies murder.
Defence barrister Gul Nawaz Hussain KC told the jury the defendant “did not set out to kill or seriously hurt anyone”. The defence argues the boy’s actions resulted from “a long period of bullying, poor treatment and violence” that built up until he lost control.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.