SEESAHAI: UK's youngest knife killers given longer prison sentences after Court of Appeal ruling

Two boys, believed to be Britain's youngest knife murderers, have had the minimum terms of their life sentences for the killing of Shawn Seesahai increased at the Court of Appeal.

The defendants, both 13, were given life sentences with minimum terms of eight-and-a-half years for the murder of Mr Seesahai, 19, in Wolverhampton on 13 November last year.

They were aged 12 at the time of the killing and became the youngest defendants convicted of the crime in the UK since Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, both aged 11, were found guilty in 1993 of murdering two-year-old James Bulger.

On Thursday, lawyers for the Solicitor General said the sentences of both boys were "unduly lenient" and should be increased, stating it was a "particularly serious type of case".

Three senior judges ruled that the minimum terms should be increased to 10 years, meaning the youths will spend nine years and 60 days behind bars because of time already served.

Lord Justice William Davis, sitting with Mr Justice Bennathan and Judge Nicholas Dean KC, said: "We have, with some reluctance and sadness, come to the conclusion that the minimum terms imposed by Mrs Justice Tipples were unduly lenient."

The judge said that full written reasons for their decision would come at a later date.

Anguilla-born Mr Seesahai, who was living in Birmingham, was stabbed through the heart and lungs with a machete and suffered a skull fracture during the attack on Stowlawn playing fields, with one of his wounds measuring 23cm deep and almost passing through his body.

Both boys blamed the other for inflicting four wounds with the machete, but were unanimously convicted of murder following their trial at Nottingham Crown Court in June.

One of the youths also admitted possession of the knife before their trial at Nottingham Crown Court.

They were described during their sentencing in September as the country's "youngest knife murderers".

High Court judge Mrs Justice Tipples had previously ruled that the defendants - known only as BGI and CMB - should be protected by anonymity orders, saying their welfare outweighed the wider public interest in open justice and unrestricted reporting.

Sentencing them, she said Mr Seeshai had "everything to live for" and described his murder as "horrific and shocking".

Explaining her reasons for the length of the minimum terms, she said the murder was aggravated by the fact it was an attack involving two offenders.

Mitigating factors included the fact the "spur-of-the-moment attack" was not premeditated, and the defendants' age.

The judge said that the first defendant, BGI, was "extremely vulnerable" and had admitted buying the murder weapon from a friend for £40 around a month before the attack.

She continued that BGI had been "groomed and exploited" by others and had had "very many adverse childhood experiences" for which he was not responsible.

The second defendant, CMB, had a supportive and loving relationship with his parents and was not previously known to the police.

Ruling 'welcomed' by family

Following today’s ruling on the sentencings, a statement from Shawn’s family was issued by police.

It said: “We recognise that justice has been served today for the murder of our beloved son, Shawn, and we welcome the Court of Appeal’s decision to increase the sentences of those responsible from eight-and-a-half to 10 years.

"Shawn’s life was taken in a brutal and senseless act of violence.

"He was attacked with a weapon carried with clear intent, leaving us devastated and haunted by the thought of what he endured.

"While no sentence can ever bring Shawn back, we feel that today’s decision better reflects the gravity of the actions that took him from us and acknowledges the immense loss we live with every day.

"We hope this outcome sends a strong and clear message that carrying and using knives will not be tolerated.

"We are grateful to everyone who supported the review of this case and to the Attorney General’s Office for ensuring that justice was pursued.

"As we continue to honour Shawn’s memory, we remain committed to raising awareness about the dangers of knife crime, in the hope that no other family has to endure the pain we carry."

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