Teen killer pictured holding knife on family holiday months before stabbing boy

A teenage killer was pictured holding a knife on a family holiday to Iran months before stabbing another boy through the heart on the way home from school.

Bardia Shojaeifard, 15, has been detained for life with a minimum term of 13 years for the murder of Alfie Lewis last November.

Alfie, 15, was stabbed to death in a “senseless” attack “in full view” of pupils leaving a primary school in the Horsforth area of Leeds.

Leeds Crown Court heard Shojaeifard had a “worrying interest in knives” and police found several pictures on his phone of him holding them, including one where a blade had been photoshopped into his hand.

One image showed the defendant holding a knife and wearing a scarf around his face.

During the trial, jurors heard the photo was taken while visiting relatives last summer, and Shojaeifard’s father said the knife was a “model”.

He told jurors Shojaieifard’s uncle makes knives and they had been talking to the children about their cultural heritage, but prosecutors said it showed the defendant had “more than a passing interest in knives”.

Another photo showed Shojaeifard posing with a black-handled knife that had been photoshopped into his hand.

The judge, Mr Justice Cotter, said the defendant was “objectively an ordinary 14-year-old, from a loving and supportive family undertaking entirely appropriate activities when out of school”.

“He has no connection with gangs or indeed any negative peer pressure, no involvement with drugs or mental health issues,” the judge said.

“However he did have a worrying interest in knives as revealed by photographs on his phone including photoshopping knives into his hand.”

The court heard that on the day of the murder Shojaeifard took a 13cm-long kitchen knife from home with him to school, and carried it around in his trousers all day before attacking Alfie on his way home.

The court heard that since Alfie’s murder Shojaeifard’s parents have had to leave their home after receiving threats.

Nicholas Lumley, defending, said he was “the son of utterly decent, supportive and loving decent parents” who were “thriving in this adoptive country”.