A 15-year-old boy has been convicted of murdering his 12-year-old friend
it happened back in December
Last updated 5th Jul 2021
A 15-year-old boy has been convicted of murdering his 12-year-old friend after luring him to woodland in Lincolnshire and attacking him with a knife.
The teenager, who can't be named for legal reasons, repeatedly stabbed Roberts Buncis in Fishtoft near Boston in December last year. It was just two days before Roberts's 13th birthday. He admitted manslaughter but today a jury found him guilty of murder.
A trial at Lincoln Crown Court heard that the defendant "intended at the very least to inflict serious violence'' on his young victim because "he was a snitch''.
The teenager claimed Roberts had taken the knife to the scene and he "lost control'' when the youngster attempted to stab him.
Jurors dismissed the defendant's account after under two hours of deliberations, and instead concluded he was "motivated by anger and tried to punish the deceased rather than losing self-control''.
Addressing the defendant after his conviction on Monday, Mr Justice Jeremy Baker told him: "You have been found guilty of the murder of Roberts Buncis, In due course, a sentence will have to be imposed upon you. The type of sentence will be explained to you I am quite sure, but the actual sentence will have to be the subject of discussion between counsel and myself. You will remain in custody in the meantime.''
Detective Chief Inspector Richard Myszczyszyn, of East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: “Roberts should have had his life ahead of him but his future was stolen in the most brutal way. The future of all who loved Roberts will now be tainted with grief and sorrow and we send our deepest sympathy. Their bravery, and their support for our investigation, under such horrific circumstances, has been incredible"
“This was an utterly senseless act with devastating consequences. It’s a tragedy that deeply affected the school and the local community, and one that will stay with all of us for a lifetime. The level of violence, and that it involved children, makes it all the more difficult to comprehend"
A date for sentencing is yet to be confirmed.