Schoolboys, 12, found guilty of killing Shawn Seesahai in Wolverhampton park machete murder

During the attack Shawn Seesahai, aged 19, suffered slash wounds to his legs, a stab wound that went through his back and ribs into his heart. He was struck so hard with a machete that a piece of bone came away from his skull during the incident in Stowlawn near Bilston, on November 13 last year.

He had offered no violence and done nothing to offend either of the youths, who cannot be named due to being aged under 18.

One of the defendants was also found guilty of possessing a machete. The other defendant had pleaded guilty that offence ahead of the trial.

The two defendants denied murdering Mr Seesahai with each blaming the other throughout the trial at Nottingham Crown Court for the inflicting the fatal blow to his back.

As a result of their deadly actions Shawn Seesahai tragically died at the scene.

The emergency services arrived to find the victim, who was newly arrived from Anguilla, in a critical condition, but despite their efforts he was pronounced dead at the scene off Laburnum Road near East Park at 8.41pm.

Mr Seesahai, who lived in Handsworth in Birmingham, was originally from Anguilla in the Caribbean and was here to receive treatment for cataracts.

He was killed while on a trip to Wolverhampton with friends after alighting at the Priestfield tram stop to pass time in the park.

After spending a period of time sitting on a bench and walking near basketball courts the victim and his friend “came together” with the defendants with one of the youths remarking to the older males, “keep stepping”.

Seesahai’s friend described how one of the boys deliberately shoulder-brushed Mr Seesahai, who responded ‘What the f***’. The boy then pulled a machete from his trousers at which point the victim told his friend to run and as he looked back he saw see Mr Seesahai on the floor the defendants around him.

The jury was told that the 12-year-olds were together from 4.10pm and met up with two girls of around the same age who later told police that one of the defendants regularly carried a machete and that he and the other boy were passing it between themselves”.

The boys sat calmly as the verdicts were announced at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday afternoon. Reporting restrictions were not lifted, meaning they cannot be publicly named.

Trial judge Mrs Justice Tipples KC said separate hearings will be held for the sentencing and to consider legal arguments to lift anonymity.

The trial was not held in Wolverhampton due to the schoolboys being held in secure accommodation outside the West Midlands area.