Yousef Makki: Judges set to rule on fresh inquest
A decision will be made later this morning
Judges are set to rule on whether the death of a Greater Manchester teenager, who was stabbed to death, should be looked at again.
17-year-old Yousef Makki, from Burnage, was stabbed with a flick knife in Hale Barns on the evening of March 2nd 2019.
At the original inquest into the teenager's death in autumn 2021, Senior South Manchester Coroner Alison Mutch recorded a narrative verdict rather than ruling that Yousef was unlawfully killed.
She concluded she could not be sure of the "precise sequence of events" and ruled out both unlawful killing and accidental death as a conclusion.
Yousef's family, who have campaigned for someone to be held responsible for his death since he was killed, have since been challenging that conclusion in the courts.
Different standard of proof at inquests
Lawyers for the Makki family argued that because the standard of proof in a criminal trial is "beyond reasonable doubt" while the standard during inquests is lower, being "on the balance of probabilities", the coroner could conclude Yousef was unlawfully killed.
Last May a full judicial review into the inquest was granted after a hearing at Manchester Civil Justice Centre.
Matthew Stanbury, representing the Makki family at the hearing claimed the coroner's ruling, that what happened could not be known, was "inevitable" due to the failure to analyse and "grapple" with central issues in the case.
He asked for permission for a judicial review in the hope of holding a fresh inquest in due course before the chief coroner or a judge.
After Mrs Justice Heather Williams granted permission for the judicial review a round of applause broke out from the Makki family and supporters.
'A wealth of evidence coroner failed to address central issues'
Earlier this year, that review was held in front of two High Court judges, judge Mr Justice Fordham KC, and Lady Justice Macur KC.
Representing the family, Pete Weatherby KC argued "there was a wealth of evidence" which suggested Yousef was unlawfully killed but the coroner "failed to give a reason or explain why she failed to address the central issues."
At the review in May Mr Justice Fordham KC concluded by saying "there are obviously very important issues here and we would not be able to deliver a judgment today."
Since then Yousef's family have been waiting to find out if a fresh inquest will be granted.
The ruling is set to be handed down at 10am on Friday 20th January.