Irony?
Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2020 9:38 am
A young offender stabbed another teenager to death at a community centre with a 10-inch Rambo knife while on a knife awareness course, a court has heard.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, knifed Hakim Sillah, 18, twice in the chest in a 'rapid sequence of infliction' at the west London centre in November last year.
Michelle Nelson QC, prosecuting, said: 'There is a cruel irony in this case that Hakim Sillah was stabbed while he was attending a weapons awareness training course.
'The course was for young offenders, those aged under 18 with a previous offence related to weapons.'
Ms Nelson said that all participants at the centre had been risk assessed before the session, which was run by the Youth Offending Teams (YOTS), and that 'those classified as high risk were precluded from attending'.
'Both the young men must have been risk assessed, but the sad reality is that both attended that course carrying knives,' she said.
Isleworth Crown Court heard on Tuesday that Mr Sillah was stabbed twice in the chest and had defensive injuries on his hands from trying to take control of the blade.
'He was in a very bad way,' said Ms Nelson.
'So much so, that despite medical intervention by the emergency services at about 4.47pm...it was clear he was not going to survive without immediate surgery.'
Mr Sillah was taken to the Hillingdon hospital, but died at 5.30pm on November 7.
Ms Nelson said the pathologist found that the proximity of the two chest wounds was 'consistent with a rapid sequence of infliction' and indicated the use of 'substantial force'.
