UK

Boy, 15, stabbed in heart with ‘hunting knife’ at school, court told

Another 15-year-old boy has been remanded in custody to appear at Sheffield Crown Court on Thursday.

Harvey Willgoose was stabbed to death at school in Sheffield
Harvey Willgoose was stabbed to death at school in Sheffield (South Yorkshire Police/PA)

A 15-year-old boy was stabbed in the heart with a hunting knife at a school in Sheffield, a court has heard.

Harvey Willgoose died on Monday after he was injured at All Saints Catholic High School, in Granville Road, at about 12.17pm.

Another 15-year-old boy appeared at Sheffield Youth Court on Wednesday charged with murder, possession of a bladed article and affray.

Floral tributes left outside All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield
Floral tributes left outside All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield (Richard McCarthy/PA)

The court heard the knife “went through his (Harvey’s) rib and punctured his heart” following an altercation.

The defendant, who cannot be named because of his age, was remanded into youth detention accommodation by District Judge Tim Spruce to appear before the city’s crown court on Thursday.

The judge told the teenager, who sat in the dock with his head bowed throughout the hearing: “You will be aware that you are charged with offences arising from an incident on Monday the 3rd of February.

Tributes left for Sheffield United fan Harvey Willgoose at the club’s Bramall Lane stadium
Tributes left for Sheffield United fan Harvey Willgoose at the club’s Bramall Lane stadium (Jacob King/PA)

“There is an allegation that you murdered Harvey Willgoose on that date.

“It is early days in this investigation but this allegation involves a knife, a hunting knife, being taken into school and used to stab another pupil in broad daylight, resulting in the death of that pupil.”

Prosecutor Rob Coyne said a lockdown incident at the school which occurred the week prior “did not directly involve” the defendant or Harvey.

The school had gone into lockdown after there were “threats of violence” between pupils, parents were told on January 29.

On Tuesday afternoon, Harvey’s mother, Caroline, and other family members visited the school where flowers, balloons and cards have been left for the popular pupil.

Caroline Willgoose leaving All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield after viewing tributes left to her son, Harvey
Caroline Willgoose leaving All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield after viewing tributes left to her son, Harvey (Sophie Robinson/PA)

The following afternoon, Mrs Willgoose told BBC News that Harvey’s last words to her when he left the family home for school were, “I love you”.

She described her son as “the life and soul of the party” and “a joy to be around”.

“He loved football, football was his life. He was going to be an actor at one point, I think he would have been good at it”, she told the news site.

Mrs Willgoose added: “I have got his grubby T-shirt on so I can smell him.

“I don’t want to go to sleep because I don’t want to wake up and have to relive it all and remember it.”

Harvey’s father, Mark, said to BBC News that his son was his “best pal” and a “loveable rogue”.

He added: “We need to learn from this so no-one goes through what we have as a family”.

A mass will be held for Harvey at St Joseph’s church in Handsworth at 10am on Saturday.