Anti knife campaigner welcomes decision to name Harrogate teenager convicted of murder
17 year old Dylan Cranfield has been found guilty at Leeds Crown Court
A judge says the case of a Harrogate teenager who stabbed his friend to death should be a reminder to all young people that "all knives are lethal weapons."
Yesterday 17 year old Dylan Cranfield was convicted of murdering Seb Mitchell at his house on Claro Road in February.
He was 16 year old when he carried out the attack but the judge said he can be named because the case could act as a deterrent to others. Guy Kearl told Leeds Crown Court lifting reporting restrictions would help "young people to understand that knives kill...all knives are lethal weapons" and naming Cranfield would help "prevention of future offending."
Theresa Cave's son Chris was fatally stabbed in Redcar in North Yorkshire in 2003. She is an anti knife campaigner and set up the Chris Cave Foundation.
She says it's the right decision to publish Cranfield's identity: "I've been saying for years now that anybody that goes out and commits an unprovoked murder, attack on somebody, no matter age or gender, should be held responsible and face the consequences just like anybody else, even an adult. They should be dealt with as adults, of course they should be named, they should be named and shamed. I salute the judge who has just cast that and I hope that other judges follow."
Cranfield will be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on the 4th of October.