Life Sentences in murder of 15 year old Khayri McLean outside his school

May 25, 2023

Two teenage cousins have been jailed for life for the murder of 15-year-old Khayri Mclean.

Following an anonymity order being lifted, the pair have now been named.

Jovani Harriott, 17, will serve a minimum of 18 years, while 15-year-old Jakele Pusey will serve a minimum of 16 years (less time on remand in each case).

15 year old Khayri McLean was stabbed while making his way home from North Huddersfield Trust School on 21 September, 2022. As he left the school on Woodhouse Hill Road with his friends, Khayri was met by the two boys (who were aged 15 and 16 at the time) who “charged” towards him.

Khayri was fatally stabbed in the chest and also suffered a separate stab wound to the leg. Jovani Harriott, who turned 17 after the attack, admitted inflicting the second injury but said he did so after lashing out in panic, without intent to kill or do really serious harm. Giving evidence, he said that he had initially gone to the school for a “fist fight” with another youth. He told the court he did not realise he had stabbed Khayri until later and denied his murder.

The jury delivered a unanimous guilty verdict after less than four hours of deliberations.

His co-defendant, Jakele Pusey, had already admitted murder. Both admitted possessing knives.

Mrs Justice Farbey, the judge, was told how the 15-year-old defendant Jakele Pusey was involved in a Huddersfield gang called F-Block, or Fartown Boys, whose activities have been celebrated in drill music, and that he dealt class B drugs when he was around 13, and class A drugs at 14.

A pre-sentence report concluded that “violence against opposing gang members was the norm for (him) – the life he lived”.

Associate Tenant Jonathan Sandiford KC was instructed in this case by CPS Yorkshire and Humber CCU. Since taking Silk in 2020, Jonathan has appeared for both prosecution and defence in a number of substantial homicide and allied offences. He was named The Times “Lawyer of the Week” on March 23, 2023: [Jonathan Sandiford KC Profile]

Watch BBC Look North’s special episode on Knife Crime reporting on the case in detail: [BBC iPlayer]

News stories following sentencing:

[Sky News]
[BBC News]
[The Times]
[Daily Mail]
[The Guardian]
[LBC]
[Standard]
[ITV News]