Man Jailed for At Least 23 Years for Murdering Syrian Youth in West Yorkshire Town

A man has been given a life sentence with a minimum period of 23 years for the murder of a young Syrian refugee after the boy walked by his partner in the center of Huddersfield.

Court Hears Details of Deadly Confrontation

The court in Leeds heard how the defendant, aged 20, stabbed the victim, sixteen, shortly after the young man passed his companion. He was declared guilty of murder on last Thursday.

Ahmad, who had escaped conflict-ridden his Syrian hometown after being wounded in a explosion, had been residing in the West Yorkshire town for only a few weeks when he encountered the defendant, who had been for a jobcentre appointment that day and was planning to get eyelash glue with his partner.

Details of the Attack

The trial heard that the accused – who had consumed cannabis, cocaine, diazepam, an anesthetic and codeine – took “some petty exception” to the boy “without malice” passing by his partner in the public space.

Security camera video showed the defendant saying something to Ahmad, and summoning him after a brief exchange. As the youth walked over, Franco opened the blade on a switchblade he was holding in his clothing and drove it into the victim's neck.

Trial Outcome and Sentencing

The accused denied murder, but was judged guilty by a trial jury who took a little more than three hours to decide. He admitted guilt to having a knife in a public place.

While sentencing the defendant on the fifth day of the week, the presiding judge said that upon spotting the teenager, Franco “identified him as a target and drew him to within your proximity to assault before ending his life”. He said Franco’s claim to have seen a weapon in the boy's clothing was “a lie”.

Crowson said of the victim that “it stands as proof to the healthcare workers trying to save his life and his will to live he even reached the hospital with signs of life, but in reality his wounds were unsurvivable”.

Family Impact and Statement

Reciting a statement prepared by the victim's uncle his uncle, with contributions from his mother and father, the prosecutor told the court that the victim's parent had experienced cardiac arrest upon being informed of his boy's killing, leading to an operation.

“It is hard to express the impact of their terrible act and the influence it had over the whole family,” the statement stated. “The boy's mom still weeps over his clothes as they smell of him.”

He, who said the boy was like a son and he felt guilty he could not keep him safe, went on to state that Ahmad had thought he had found “a safe haven and the realization of hopes” in Britain, but instead was “tragically removed by the senseless and unprovoked act”.

“In my role as his uncle, I will always feel responsible that the boy had arrived in Britain, and I could not protect him,” he said in a declaration after the sentencing. “Ahmad we love you, we miss you and we will continue always.”

Background of the Teenager

The proceedings heard the teenager had journeyed for three months to get to England from the Middle East, visiting a refugee centre for young people in the Welsh city and attending college in the local college before moving to his final destination. The young man had dreamed of becoming a medical professional, motivated partly by a desire to care for his mom, who was affected by a chronic medical issue.