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Two 12-year-olds found guilty of murder

The pair, who cannot be named because of their age, are among the youngest convicted murderers in the UK

Ruling out unlawful killing, Senior Coroner Louise Hunt told the court: “I accept Coleman’s evidence when he said he was trying to protect himself.” (Photo for representation: iStock)

By: Shajil Kumar

TWO 12-year-old boys were found guilty of murdering a 19-year-old youth using a machete in a Wolverhampton park in November last year.

The pair, who cannot be named because of their age, are among the youngest convicted murderers in the UK. They are expected to be sentenced next month.

They are believed to be the youngest since Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, both 11, were found guilty in 1993 of murder.

The victim, Shawn Seesahai, died after the machete pierced through the heart in an unprovoked attack on Stowlawn playing fields in East Park, Wolverhampton.

Seesahai was not known to the defendants, who claimed he antagonised them by asking them to move off a bench.

One of the boys used a machete to slash at his legs and stab him through the heart, while the other reportedly punched and stamped on his head.

During a trial at Nottingham Crown Court, the boys sought to blame each other, but the jury convicted both.

The jury was told that Seesahai and his friends “had offered no violence, nor done anything to offend” the two defendants.

The victim’s friend said they were forced to run, but Seesahai stumbled and fell to the ground, where he was stabbed.

After the attack, the boys played video games for hours. They got to know about Seesahai’s death the following day, the court was told.

Considering the age of the culprits, the court exempted the boys from sitting in the dock. They sat within the main courtroom alongside a family member and trained intermediaries explained the proceedings.

Seesahai was from Anguilla in the Caribbean but had travelled to the UK to undergo treatment for his eye ailment.

He had cataracts and Anguilla lacked facilities to treat them.

After successful surgery in the UK, he was planning to pursue higher education, prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC said.

After the verdict, Seesahai’s parents Suresh and Maneshwary said they would never be able to get over this tragedy.