Two 12-year-old boys have been remanded into youth detention after appearing in court charged with murder and possessing a machete.
The youths, who are accused of killing 19-year-old Shawn Seesahai in the East Park area of Wolverhampton earlier this week, spoke only to confirm their personal details.
The 10-minute hearing took place at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court before district judge Graham Wilkinson.
Flanked by three dock officers, the boys, dressed in a casual zip-up jumper and a hoodie, listened as their lawyers confirmed they would both deny the charges against them.
As well as a count of murder, they face a second charge alleging they were in possession of “an article which had a blade or was sharply-pointed, namely a machete” without lawful authority.
After checking they could hear the proceedings, the judge told the young accused: “This is going to be a really short hearing.
“As your lawyers will have told you, because you are charged with murder this court cannot consider bail.
“Today the only option will be to remand you into what’s called youth detention.
“Your lawyers have properly identified that you will both in due course be denying the murder charge.”
Both boys, who cannot be named because of their age, were ordered to appear again at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 20 November.
As the pair were led away after the hearing, they both briefly waved to relatives sitting in the public gallery.
No relatives of Mr Seesahai, who is believed to have come to the UK in April this year, were present for the hearing.
Mr Seesahai died at the scene after being found stabbed on Stowlawn playing fields at around 8.30pm on Monday, 13 November.
In a statement previously released through West Midlands Police, the victim’s mother described her son as a “courageous, compassionate and confident young soul”, with “future plans and ambitions”.
“He cared dearly about his family and friends and he absolutely loved to help people. He was a generous person and had a good personality,” she said. “We will always have him in our hearts.”
The force said it had increased dedicated patrols in the area following the tragedy.
“I’m never drinking tap water again,” Kayley Lewis says.
“My symptoms have made me lose a stone in two weeks.”
Ms Lewis and her two children have been suffering from diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach cramps for over a fortnight – since South West Water found small traces of the parasite cryptosporidium in the Hillhead reservoir.
“I can’t trust them [South West Water] again.
“I might start using tap water for dishes… but definitely never to drink. Ever.
“I’ve been completely put off now… especially because of how poorly it makes you feel.
“I just don’t think I could ever try and risk going back to that.”
At least 46 people are confirmed to have the disease, while as many as 70 other cases of diarrhoea and vomiting are also under investigation, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.
South West Water (SWW) has repeatedly apologised – telling Sky News today that they are working “around the clock” to get all households back to using safe water again.
Advertisement
This could be as early as this Wednesday, drought and resilience director at SWW David Harris told me.
“We’re looking at somewhere between mid to late next week before we’ll be in a position to be able to responsibly lift that boil water notice.”
So far, 14,500 households in the Alston supply area can drink their tap water without boiling it first – as advised by SWW.
However, some 2,500 homes in Hillhead, upper parts of Brixham and Kingswear have been told to continue boiling – and cooling – their water supplies before drinking it.
Steve Price, who runs the Station Guest House B&B near Brixham, said he lost a couple of thousand pounds in bookings due to – understandably – paranoid customers.
“Losses we anticipate are roughly around £2000 from people that have cancelled and directly stated that the cancellation was due to the water situation.
“So we would anticipate that at the bare minimum as compensation.”
At every step through the Infected Blood Inquiry, he has been in his family’s hearts and minds.
Just like every other bereaved family carrying the memories of loved ones throughout their long fight for justice.
“The way I feel… I don’t feel like my brother can rest until we all rest,” Peter Lloyd’s sister Sarah told Sky News.
Mr Lloyd was the second of seven siblings.
He joined the RAF and loved serving his country. He became a chief technician and was posted to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
However, it was a car crash in the UK in July 1985 that caused him to suffer horrendous injuries.
He had a blood transfusion in hospital that he and his family believed had saved his life. That may have been true, but it also, years later, led to his death.
He was only told more than a decade after the transfusion that he’d received contaminated blood. He was diagnosed with hepatitis C shortly after.
Mr Lloyd later developed bowel and liver cancer and died aged 55 in 2008.
Advertisement
‘It tears your life apart’
His family’s mission since then has been to help ensure the whole scandal of contaminated blood transfusions is fully understood.
His sister Sarah Martin, 66, told Sky News that compensation should be paid, but that it can’t put right the wrongs: “I’d rather have my brother, I’d rather not have any money.
“He’s gone – they have taken him through reckless blood transfusions.
“It’s just heartbreaking it tears your life apart.”
Spreaker
This content is provided by Spreaker, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Spreaker cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Spreaker cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Spreaker cookies for this session only.
One of the boys, aged 13, was rescued from the river and taken to hospital, where he remains “in a critical condition”, Northumbria Police said in a statement on Sunday morning.
A huge search, which involved the police, ambulance, fire and mountain rescue services, then continued as crews raced to find the second boy.
“Sadly, the 14-year-old’s body was later found in the water and he was pronounced dead at the scene,” police said.
Chief Superintendent Helena Barron, of Northumbria Police, said it was an “absolutely tragic incident”.
She added: “Our thoughts are with the families of both boys at this difficult time as we continue to support them.
“A number of agencies were involved in the incident and their support was hugely appreciated.
“It is with great sadness that we could not provide a more positive update.”
Advertisement
Police said the parents of both boys are being supported by specially-trained officers.