UK’s youngest murderers since James Bulger killing could get longer sentence as judges consider leniency appeal
Britain’s youngest knife murderers could be given a longer sentence as judges today consider if eight-and-a-half years was too lenient.
The boys were both 12 when they were found guilty over a brutal machete attack that killed Shawn Seesahai, 19, in Wolverhampton in November 2023.
Mr Seesahai was slashed in his legs and skull, while the fatal blow to his back was 23cm deep and almost came out his chest.
Mr Seesahai was set upon after one boy deliberately brushed into him. Pic: PA
The attack happened on 13 November 2023 in a Wolverhampton park. Pic: PA
The boys are believed to be the youngest convicted of murder in the UK since James Bulger’s 11-year-old killers in 1993.
They accused each other of wielding the machete but were found to be jointly responsible for the attack, which trial judge Mrs Justice Tipples called “horrific and shocking”.
However, she said she also had to consider the boys’ “emotional maturity” and other factors based on their age and upbringing when she sentenced them to a minimum of eight and a half years in September.
The boys are now 13 but can’t legally be named due to laws protecting young offenders, with the judge saying their welfare outweighed the wider interest in open justice.
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Moment two boys convicted of knife murder
The bid to increase their sentence will be heard this morning at the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.
Relatives, victims and members of the public can use the scheme to ask the Attorney General’s Office to review sentences that seem unreasonably low.
If the three senior judges agree it was too lenient based on the evidence at the time, they can quash it and replace it with a new one. They could also leave it unchanged.
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Seesahai family ‘disappointed’ with sentence
Mr Seesahai, originally from Anguilla in the Caribbean, had been staying in Birmingham while recovering from cataract surgery and hoped to become an engineer in the UK.
The attack happened when he and a friend encountered a group of children in a Wolverhampton park.
Prosecutors said despite doing nothing to provoke them, he was attacked after one of the boys deliberately “shoulder brushed” him and pulled out a machete.
Mr Seesahai’s friend escaped but the 19-year-old ended up on the floor where he was punched, kicked and repeatedly knifed.
The boys have been held in secure accommodation since the attack.
The chancellor and foreign secretary are threatening to take Roman Abramovich to court to seize the proceeds of his Chelsea FC sale.
The Russian oligarch, who is sanctioned by the UK government over his alleged links to Vladimir Putin, sold Chelsea for £2.5bn to an American consortium in 2022, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Those funds remain in a frozen UK bank account but are meant to be used for humanitarian causes linked to the Ukraine war.
Abramovich has denied close ties to Vladimir Putin. File pic: Reuters
Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Foreign Secretary David Lammy have now said they are “deeply frustrated” an agreement cannot be reached with the oligarch and will take him to court if it cannot be dealt with soon.
In a joint statement, they said: “The government is determined to see the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine, following Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion.
“We are deeply frustrated that it has not been possible to reach agreement on this with Mr Abramovich so far.
“While the door for negotiations will remain open, we are fully prepared to pursue this through the courts if required, to ensure people suffering in Ukraine can benefit from these proceeds as soon as possible.”
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Rachel Reeves said she was ‘deeply frustrated’ an agreement had not been reached by Roman Abramovich
Abramovich was forced to sell Chelsea – which he bought for a reported £140m – after 19 years of ownership, after being sanctioned by the government over his alleged close ties to the Russian president – something he denies.
The sale was made under the supervision of the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, under the proviso the proceeds go to humanitarian aid in Ukraine.
They cannot be moved or used without a licence from the office.
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In March, the Foreign Office said officials were in talks with Abramovich’s representatives, but multiple sources told the BBC there had been no meetings between any Labour ministers and members of the foundation set up to oversee the funds since last July’s general election.
They said there was a deadlock and a political decision by a minister is needed to negotiate and sign off an agreement.
It is not known if there have been meetings in the three months since then.
The £2.5bn – and interest accrued – would make up for some of the reduction in the aid budget, announced in February.
Human remains have been found as part of an investigation into the disappearance of a Polish woman 15 years ago.
Izabela Zablocka was living in the Normanton area of Derby but lost contact with her family in August 2010, when she was 30, and has never been found.
However, new information came to light last week and a murder investigation was launched.
Derbyshire Police said remains believed to belong to Ms Zablocka had now been discovered in the garden of a property on Princes Street in Normanton.
A 39-year-old woman who was arrested on suspicion of murder was re-arrested on Monday.
Two other women, aged 39 and 43, and a 41-year-old man arrested last week remain on bail.
Ms Zablocka moved to the UK in 2009 but disappeared the following year. Pic: PA
Detective Inspector Kane Martin said formal identification hadn’t yet taken place but it’s believed the remains belong to Ms Zablocka.
“As such, we have spoken with Izabela’s family in Poland, and they are aware. Our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time,” he said.
“Identification of the remains is likely to be a lengthy process, but we will issue updates when we are able.”
Police will remain at the address for now as they try to gather more evidence on Ms Zablocka’s death.
A £20,000 reward is being offered until 27 August for information that leads to a conviction. Anyone who wants to get in touch is urged to contact the Crimestoppers charity.
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DI Martin added: “We know that someone out there will have information about Izabela that may help us understand what happened to her, and urge anyone who saw, spoke to, or heard anything about Izabela in July or August 2010 to come forward.
“You may hold the key piece of information that we need to understand the full circumstances of Izabela’s disappearance, and to give her family answers on what happened to their loved one.”
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