Teenager accused of murder ‘was bubbly and chatty before stabbing school boy to death’

Alexander Butler
·3 min read
Alfie Lewis, 15, was stabbed to death, the trial heard (PA)
Alfie Lewis, 15, was stabbed to death, the trial heard (PA)

A teenager accused of murder was his usual “bubbly and chatty” self in his last lesson of the day before stabbing another boy through the heart on the way back from school, a court heard.

The 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is alleged to have murdered Alfie Lewis, 15, in “full view” of pupils leaving a primary school in Horsforth, Leeds, last November.

He denies murder and claims he was acting in self defence. A teacher told Leeds Crown Court the defendant “left the classroom quickly” when the lesson finished, but “so did most of the other students, as is normal”.

“He was both bubbly and chatty. He was just his normal self. I can say with absolute certainty there was nothing at all in his behaviour during the lesson that gave me any cause for concern. He gave me no indication of what his intentions were,” the court heard.

But a different witness said he heard Alfie shout “chill out” before the boy allegedly stabbed him and just “ran off” from the incident.

Alfie was described as ‘kind and caring’ by family and friends after he was stabbed to death in November last year (Kayla Robinson)
Alfie was described as ‘kind and caring’ by family and friends after he was stabbed to death in November last year (Kayla Robinson)

He said: “Normally we just cut through in front of the gate to the primary school but while we were walking the defendant just cut off me to go to Alfie’s direction.

“I was just really confused why he just left me, so I just carried on walking.” The witness said the defendant looked “more concentrated” after seeing Alfie.

He told the court that as he was walking away, he heard Alfie shout: “Chill out.” The witness added: “I turned round and saw the defendant holding a knife and attacking Alfie. After the defendant stabbed Alfie, he just ran off.”

Questioned by Nicholas Lumley KC, defending, the witness agreed he “must have missed the start of whatever happened” as he had his back to Alfie and the defendant.

A girl who saw the incident described seeing a boy “standing innocently” and being approached by another boy.

Tributes left for Alfie, who was said to be ‘one in a million’ by family and friends (PA Wire)
Tributes left for Alfie, who was said to be ‘one in a million’ by family and friends (PA Wire)

In a pre-recorded interview played in court, she said: “I don’t know what he was doing but he was standing there, he wasn’t doing anything and the other guy came up to him.

“They started pushing each other. The one in the grey outfit fell on the floor and he was screaming. He was saying ‘chill out’. He fell on his back with his knees upwards.”

The girl said she could only see the other boy from behind, who was wearing a school uniform, but saw him flicking his knife around three times.

“You could tell it was a knife because it was really sharp,” she said. The witness said the boy in grey “had his hands up” and appeared to be trying to push the other boy back.

Jurors have heard about two previous incidents involving Alfie and the defendant. Prosecutor Craig Hassall KC said one was in July 2023 when Alfie intervened in a fight involving the defendant, and the second happened on Halloween, when Alfie claimed the defendant threw a firework at him.

The prosecutor said a post-mortem examination revealed the fatal stab injury was a 14cm deep wound to Alfie’s chest which punctured his heart.

He added: “As we understand it, (the defendant) will accept that Alfie was killed by the knife from his kitchen drawer at home, but will say that, at all times, he was acting in self-defence.”

The trial continues.