Shawn Seesahai: Boys, 12, found guilty of murdering 19-year-old in machete attack
Two 12-year-old boys are thought to have become the youngest knife murderers in the UK after being found guilty of killing a 19-year-old in a machete attack.
Warning: This story contains details readers may find distressing
On Monday, jurors unanimously convicted the pair, who are believed to be youngest defendants convicted of murder in Britain since Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, both aged 11, were found guilty in 1993 of killing two-year-old James Bulger.
Shawn Seesahai, 19, died after the attack on 13 November last year.
He was struck on his back, legs and skull. The fatal wound to his back was more than 20cm deep and “almost came out” of his chest after going “through his heart”.
Two 12-year-old boys denied murdering Mr Seesahai but prosecutors said they were jointly responsible for the savage attack.
An image sent on Snapchat of one of the defendants holding the machete
Following the verdict, the detective who led the hunt said his experienced team were left in shock at the age of the killers.
“I have been a police officer for 20 years and this isn’t the first time I’ve been out to a young man who has lost his life in a really violent way,” said Detective Inspector Damian Forrest, of West Midlands Police.
“But to then find out that two 12-year-olds were responsible was shocking and made us all on the investigation team stop and pause and think about things.
“But I have got a really professional team with lots of experience and we gathered our thoughts, adapted our policies and our processes appropriately, and carried on with the investigation from there.”
Mr Seesahai, originally from Anguilla in the Caribbean, had been staying in Birmingham while recovering from cataract surgery.
He and a friend had walked to a park in Wolverhampton where they encountered a group of children.
Prosecutors said despite the fact Mr Seesahai had “offered no violence, nor done anything to offend”, he became the victim of a brutal attack.
Neither boy can be named because of their age.
Shawn Seesahai was attacked with a machete in a park in Wolverhampton. Pic: West Midlands Police
Unprovoked savagery
Prosecutors said one of the boys deliberately “shoulder brushed” Mr Seesahai that evening and then pulled a machete from his trousers.
Mr Seesahai’s friend managed to escape but Mr Seesahai ended up on the floor where prosecutors say he was punched, kicked and knifed by the two boys.
He was hit so hard to the skull with the machete that a “piece of bone had come away”.
He also sustained slash wounds to his leg and, most significantly, an injury from the machete that entered his body from his back, went through his ribs and into his heart.
“These two boys engaged in a joint attack upon a man who had done nothing wrong, a man with no weapon, who was utterly defenceless on the ground,” said Michelle Heeley KC.
Mr Seesahai’s mother Manashwary described her son as “very loving”.
“He’s always there for us, a very protected child. He helped his father [at work] with all the tools, he helped me [at] home with the chores, he loved to do that.”
Shawn’s father Suresh says his son used to help him with his work in construction.
“He was always with me, from the time he was born and growing up. When he’d have been around 16 he started to work with me. Whatsoever he knew that I’d need help [with] he’d always be there for me.”
Shawn Seesahai’s parents Suresh and Manashwary Seesahai
‘This world is a different world’
Mr Seesahai’s parents said Shawn had wanted to build a life in the UK and pursue a career in engineering. They said he was recovering well from his operation and the family had planned to join him in the UK so they could all be together.
Mrs Seesahai says her son was ambitious.
“He didn’t finish school, so after he came here and finished the eye surgery, he said when he felt better he’d finish off school and have his dream.”
“He’d always say ‘Mom, I want to work, I want my own house, I want my own car.’ He’d always say ‘Mom, I will be shining’.”
Mr Seesahai’s father spoke of the need for parents to be more aware of what their children might be up to.
“You don’t know what these kids have. This world is a different world. Kids are dangerous now and if we don’t pay attention to our kids it will happen every day.”
Police at the scene in November last year
Defendants blamed each other
Both boys blamed each other for the attack. One of them admitted to possessing the weapon that was used.
He was the first to give evidence in court and said that he and his co-accused had been sitting on a bench in the park with a female friend when they were approached by Mr Seesahai and another man.
He said Mr Seesahai towered over them and told them to “move from here”.
He said he told Mr Seesahai’s companion to “get your friend out of my face”.
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The boy said Mr Seesahai grabbed him in a headlock and that his co-defendant ended up holding the machete and “side-stepped” towards them.
“Shawn let me out of the headlock and started running and then his shoe came off, and then he tripped,” he said.
The boy said both defendants ran after Mr Seesahai and the other 12-year-old then began striking his legs with the knife.
The first defendant said he told his friend to stop and didn’t realise that Mr Seesahai had been stabbed in the back.
He said that after the attack he had retrieved the knife.
The machete found by police under one of the boy’s beds. Pic: West Midlands Police
Machete discovery
Police later found the machete under his bed. He said he had purchased the weapon for £40 a couple of months before the killing.
He used bleach to clean the blood-stained knife, saying he got the idea from a music video, before hiding it under his bed.
The second 12-year-old gave a very different account, claiming his friend had stabbed Mr Seesahai and that he had been “nowhere near” him during the attack. He also denied having the machete in his own hands as the attack unfolded.
He told the court he had pushed Mr Seesahai off his friend, at which point the 19-year-old “grabbed on” to him, forcing them both to the floor.
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Bloody attack
“I fell on the concrete,” he said. “Shawn fell on the grass.”
He said his co-defendant then ran after Mr Seesahai, who tripped when his shoe came off, and stabbed him more than once.
He said his friend had blood “all over his hands” and on the cuff of his fleece.
When police seized the boys’ phones they found photos of knives.
The 12-year-old who had purchased the machete said he had sent photos showing himself holding the weapon because he “thought it was cool”.
The boys have been held in secure accommodation since the attack.
Jonathan Roe, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS West Midlands, said: “This was a horrifying and random act of brutality, perpetrated by two 12-year-olds who should not have been spending their time arming themselves with a machete and preparing to take a life.
“Today’s conviction should send a clear message to those who feel it appropriate to arm themselves with knives or blades – no matter how you may try to justify it, you will face the consequences of your actions.”
All 14 children arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after a boy died in a fire have been released on police bail, officers said.
Layton Carr, 14, was found dead near the site of a fire at Fairfield industrial park in the Bill Quay area of Gateshead on Friday.
Northumbria Police said on Saturday that they had arrested 11 boys and three girls in connection with the incident.
In an update on Sunday, a Northumbria Police spokesman said: “All those arrested have since been released on police bail pending further inquiries.”
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Teenager dies in industrial estate fire
Firefighters raced to the industrial site shortly after 8pm on Friday, putting out the blaze a short time later.
Police then issued an appeal for Carr, who was believed to be in the area at that time.
In a statement on Saturday, the force said that “sadly, following searches, a body believed to be that of 14-year-old Layton Carr was located deceased inside the building”.
David Thompson, headteacher of Hebburn Comprehensive School, where Layton was a pupil, said the school community was “heartbroken”.
Mr Thompson described him as a “valued and much-loved member of Year 9” and said he would be “greatly missed by everyone”.
He added that the school’s “sincere condolences” were with Layton’s family and that the community would “rally together to support one another through this tragedy”.
A fundraising page on GoFundMe has been set up to help Layton’s mother pay for funeral costs.
Pic: Gofundme
Organiser Stephanie Simpson said: “The last thing Georgia needs to stress trying to pay for a funeral for her Boy Any donations will help thank you.”
One tribute in a Facebook post read: “Can’t believe I’m writing this my nephew RIP Layton 💔 forever 14 you’ll be a massive miss, thinking of my sister and 2 beautiful nieces right now.”
Detective Chief Inspector Louise Jenkins, of Northumbria Police, also said: “This is an extremely tragic incident where a boy has sadly lost his life.”
She added that the force’s “thoughts are with Layton’s family as they begin to attempt to process the loss of their loved one”.
They are working to establish “the full circumstances surrounding the incident” and officers will be in the area to “offer reassurance to the public”, she added.
A cordon remains in place at the site while police carry out enquiries.
Football bodies could be forced to pay towards the care costs of ex-players who have been diagnosed with brain conditions, under proposals set to be considered by MPs.
Campaigners are drafting amendments to the Football Governance Bill, which would treat conditions caused by heading balls as an “industrial injuries issue”.
The proposals seek to require the football industry to provide the necessary financial support.
Campaigners say existing support is not fit for purpose, including the Brain Health Fund which was set up with an initial £1m by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), supported by the Premier League.
But the Premier League said the fund has supported 121 families with at-home adaptations and care home fees.
From England‘s 1966 World Cup-winning team, both Jack and Bobby Charlton died with dementia, as did Martin Peters, Ray Wilson and Nobby Stiles.
Neil Ruddock speaks to Sky’s Rob Harris outside parliament
Ex-players, including former Liverpool defender Neil Ruddock, went to parliament last week to lobby MPs.
Ruddock told Sky News he had joined campaigners “for the families who’ve gone through hell”.
“A professional footballer, greatest job in the world, but no one knew the dangers, and that’s scary,” he said.
“Every time someone heads a ball it’s got to be dangerous to you. You know, I used to head 100 balls a day in training. I didn’t realise that might affect my future.”
A study co-funded by the PFA and the Football Association (FA) in 2019 found footballers were three and a half times more likely to die of a neurodegenerative disease than members of the public of the same age.
‘In denial’
Among those calling on football authorities to contribute towards the care costs of ex-players who have gone on to develop conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia is Labour MP Chris Evans.
Mr Evans, who represents Caerphilly in South Wales, hopes to amend the Bill to establish a care and financial support scheme for ex-footballers and told a recent event in parliament that affected ex-players “deserve to be compensated”.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who helped to draft the amendment, said the game was “in denial about the whole thing”.
Mr Burnham called for it to be seen as “an industrial injuries issue in the same way with mining”.
In January, David Beckham lent his support to calls for greater support for footballers affected by dementia.
One of the amendments says that “the industry rather than the public should bear the financial burden”.
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A spokesperson for the FA said it was taking a “leading role in reviewing and improving the safety of our game” and that it had “already taken many proactive steps to review and address potential risk factors”.
An English Football League spokesperson said it was “working closely with other football bodies” to ensure both professional and grassroots football are “as safe as it can be”.
The PFA and Premier League declined to comment.
UK
Terror arrests came in context of raised warnings about Iran, with ongoing chaos in its own backyard
These are two separate and unrelated investigations by counter-terror officers.
But the common thread is nationality – seven out of the eight people arrested are Iranian.
And that comes in the context of increased warnings from government and the security services about Iranian activity on British soil.
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Counter terror officers raid property
Last year, the director general of MI5, Ken McCallum, said his organisation and police had responded to 20 Iran-backed plots presenting potentially lethal threats to British citizens and UK residents since January 2022.
He linked that increase to the ongoing situation in Iran’s own backyard.
“As events unfold in the Middle East, we will give our fullest attention to the risk of an increase in – or a broadening of – Iranian state aggression in the UK,” he said.
The implication is that even as Iran grapples with a rapidly changing situation in its own region, having seen its proxies, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, decimated and itself coming under Israeli attack, it may seek avenues further abroad.
The government reiterated this warning only a few weeks ago, with security minister Dan Jarvis addressing parliament.
“The threat from Iran sits in a wider context of the growing, diversifying and evolving threat that the UK faces from malign activity by a number of states,” Jarvis said.
“The threat from states has become increasingly interconnected in nature, blurring the lines between: domestic and international; online and offline; and states and their proxies.
“Turning specifically to Iran, the regime has become increasingly emboldened, asserting itself more aggressively to advance their objectives and undermine ours.”
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As part of that address, Jarvis highlighted the National Security Act 2023, which “criminalises assisting a foreign intelligence service”, among other things.
So it was notable that this was the act used in one of this weekend’s investigations.
The suspects were detained under section 27 of the same act, which allows police to arrest those suspected of being “involved in foreign power threat activity”.
Those powers are apparently being put to use.
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