Boy, 16, detained for killing former friend in Hackney

A teenager who stabbed his 15-year-old former friend with a pocket knife in east London, and confessed to the killing to an online girlfriend, has been sentenced at the Old Bailey.

The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named due to his age, was given a custodial term of seven years for manslaughter, with a five-year extended licence period added for dangerousness.

Pharrell Garcia, 15, suffered a single stab wound to the heart during the incident in Stellman Close, Hackney, just before 16:00 BST on 23 July 2024.

The two boys had been friends but had fallen out and were planning a fight of some sort, the court heard.

During the trial, it was heard the defendant had messaged the girl saying “I think I just killed Pharrell. I stabbed him in the heart by accident, but was meant to stab his leg”.

Sentencing, Judge Philip Katz KC said after stabbing Pharrell, the defendant had chased him away from the scene with the knife in his hand, and then after seeing him collapse, had run away.

“The victim’s grandmother and uncle then arrived at the scene. That must have been a soul destroying event,” he said.

“That a 15-year-old died is a tragedy, that he was killed by another child at 15 is another tragedy.”

The judge told the defendant: “You are a dangerous offender and the picture remains concerning.

“You pose a very high risk of very serious harm to the public for further knife offending.”

The court heard the Pharrell’s family would not be reading out victim impact statements because it was “too much” for them.

Prosecutor Mark Fenhalls KC said of their experience: “The decimation of the family is unsurprising in these circumstances.”

“Having been at the scene when he died… it was too much for them. They can’t cope any more.”

The defence barrister, Beth O’Reilly KC, said: “These young men knew each other and knew each other from primary school. This case has a real sense of hopelessness.”

At his trial the defendant had claimed he was acting in self-defence, but Judge Katz said: “This was never a case of self defence.”