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A man has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 23 years for the killing of a teenage Syrian refugee after the teenager passed his partner in Huddersfield town centre.

Court Hears Details of Fatal Altercation

The court in Leeds was told how Alfie Franco, twenty, attacked with a knife Ahmad Al Ibrahim, 16, shortly after the teenager passed Franco’s girlfriend. He was convicted of homicide on the fourth day of the week.

Ahmad, who had fled conflict-ridden his Syrian hometown after being wounded in a bombing, had been residing in the West Yorkshire town for only a few weeks when he met the defendant, who had been for a jobcentre appointment that day and was planning to get cosmetic adhesive with his girlfriend.

Particulars of the Attack

Leeds crown court learned that the defendant – who had taken cannabis, cocaine, a prescription medication, ketamine and a painkiller – took “some petty exception” to the teenager “without malice” going past his partner in the public space.

CCTV footage displayed the man making a remark to the victim, and gesturing him closer after a quick argument. As the boy came closer, the individual unfolded the knife on a flick knife he was holding in his trousers and plunged it into the teenager's throat.

Verdict and Judgment

The defendant pleaded not guilty to murder, but was convicted by a panel of jurors who deliberated for just over three hours. He admitted guilt to having a knife in a public place.

While sentencing the defendant on last Friday, the presiding judge said that upon spotting the teenager, the man “singled him out and enticed him to within your range to strike before ending his life”. He said Franco’s claim to have spotted a blade in the boy's clothing was “untrue”.

Crowson said of the teenager that “it is a testament to the doctors and nurses trying to save his life and his desire to survive he even made it to the hospital alive, but in fact his injuries were lethal”.

Relatives Impact and Statement

Presenting a declaration prepared by Ahmad’s uncle the family member, with input from his parents, the prosecutor told the judges that the boy's dad had had a heart episode upon being informed of his son’s death, necessitating medical intervention.

“It is hard to express the consequence of their awful offense and the effect it had over the whole family,” the testimony stated. “The boy's mom still sobs over his garments as they carry his scent.”

Ghazwan, who said his nephew was as close as a child and he felt guilty he could not protect him, went on to explain that Ahmad had thought he had found “a peaceful country and the achievement of aspirations” in England, but instead was “tragically removed by the senseless and unprovoked act”.

“Being his relative, I will always feel responsible that he had come to the UK, and I could not ensure his safety,” he said in a statement after the judgment. “Our beloved boy we care for you, we yearn for you and we will feel this way eternally.”

History of the Teenager

The court was told Ahmad had made his way for 90 days to reach the UK from the Middle East, visiting a asylum seeker facility for teenagers in a city in Wales and attending college in the Swansea area before arriving in his final destination. The boy had dreamed of becoming a medical professional, motivated partly by a desire to care for his mom, who suffered from a long-term health problem.