Teen who stabbed boy to death at a Catholic school in Sheffield identified

Mohammed Umar Khan, the teen identified as the one who stabbed 15-year-old boy, Harvey Willgoose, at a Catholic school in Sheffield, has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 16 years following a harrowing trial at Sheffield Crown Court.

Khan, now 15, was found guilty of murder in August. His name was initially withheld from the public due to his age but was revealed by the judge, Mrs. Justice Ellenbogen, during Wednesday’s sentencing. The court heard how Khan brought a large hunting knife to All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield on February 3, and stabbed Harvey in the heart in front of horrified classmates.

Panic erupted throughout the school as students fled for safety, with some locking themselves in cupboards to escape the chaos. CCTV footage shown to the jury revealed that Harvey was stabbed twice, one of the blows piercing his rib and heart.

Judge Ellenbogen described Khan as a boy with “an inability to manage his anger,” citing multiple records of aggression and violent behavior. She noted that just two months before the murder, a police officer had visited Khan’s home after his mother found disturbing photographs of him posing with knives. Despite being warned about the dangers of carrying weapons, he ignored the advice.

The court also saw images and videos recovered from Khan’s phone showing him posing with knives, as well as internet searches related to weapons. Evidence revealed that this was not the first time he had brought a knife onto school grounds.

In the days before the attack, tensions had escalated between Khan and Harvey following an incident involving other students. A lockdown had been declared at the school after Khan accused another boy of carrying a knife—though no weapon was found. Harvey, frightened by the incident, stayed home and texted his father saying, “I’m not going in that school while people have knives.”

The hostility between the two boys continued online over the weekend, and when classes resumed Monday morning, Khan concealed the hunting knife in his bag. Just after lunch began, he confronted Harvey and fatally attacked him.

Moments after the stabbing, Khan told the headteacher, “I’m not right in the head. My mum doesn’t look after me right.” When Assistant Head Morgan Davis disarmed him, Khan reportedly said, “You know I can’t control it,” referring to his anger issues.

Defense attorney Gul Nawaz Hussain KC argued that Khan had “snapped” after years of bullying and fear at school, claiming the boy carried the knife for protection. However, prosecutors maintained that the attack was a deliberate act of violence driven by anger and obsession with weapons.

Harvey’s family, devastated by their loss, spoke outside the courthouse after the verdict. His sister, Sophie Willgoose, described him as “full of life, warm, funny, and caring,” adding that “this tragedy has not only devastated our family but has rippled across the country.”

Since the murder, Harvey’s parents and sister have dedicated themselves to raising awareness about knife violence and advocating for security measures such as knife arches in schools. They continue to campaign in Harvey’s memory, determined that no other family should suffer such a senseless loss.

Judge Ellenbogen concluded by saying that while Khan’s age and emotional struggles were factors, the gravity of his crime could not be overlooked. “This was a calculated and devastating act of violence,” she said. “A young life has been lost, and a community shattered.”

Floral tributes and messages of love have continued to pile up outside All Saints Catholic High School, a solemn reminder of the senseless act that ended Harvey Willgoose’s life and forever changed the lives of those who knew him.

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