Teen refugee stabbed to death after walking past attacker's girlfriend, court hears

A TEENAGE Syrian refugee who fled war-torn Homs after being injured in a bombing was stabbed to death in a West Yorkshire town centre just weeks after moving from Wales.

- KATIE DICKINSON PA reporter CATHY OWEN Breaking news editor

A court heard that Ahmad Al Ibrahim “innocuously” walked past Alfie Franco's girlfriend.

‘The 16-year-old had been living in Huddersfield for just a couple of weeks after moving from south Wales when he was fatally stabbed in the neck in broad daylight by Franco, 20, Leeds Crown Court heard.

Jurors were told Ahmad was walking in a crowded shopping area of Huddersfield town centre with a friend on April 3 when he walked past Franco's girlfriend and “may have made, at most, minor contact with her’

Prosecutor Richard Wright KC said Franco “appears to have taken some petty exception to that entirely innocuous passing” and called Ahmad back.

“Even as the boy started to walk towards him, Alfie Franco was reaching into his jogging bottoms and opening the blade on a flick knife that he was illegally carrying,” Mr Wright said.

“He concealed the knife as he opened it, so that the boy did not appreciate the terrible danger he was in.”

Jurors heard that before Ahmad, who was unarmed, had even got close to the defendant, Franco lunged forwards and drove the blade of his concealed flick knife straight into the boy’s neck.

CCTV showed Ahmad clutching his throat and staggering a few yards up the street before collapsing.