Fred Shand murder trial: 15-year-old accused of murder tells court young people buy knives to 'look cool'

The 15-year-old defendant charged with the murder of Fred Shand after he was fatally stabbed on March 22, alongside his 17-year-old co-defendant, stood to give evidence in court for the first time.

Mr Paul Hynes KC, the 15-year-old’s defence barrister, began by confirming a number of the agreed facts of the prosecution’s case laid out before the jury the day before (July 20).

Having pleaded guilty to the possession of a knife on the day of the incident, Mr Hynes KC asked the defendant where he got the weapon from.

The 15-year-old confirmed it was purchased from a shop in Northampton town centre around four months prior to the day of the incident – and someone else had bought it on his behalf.

When asked by Mr Hynes KC as to why the knife was purchased, the 15-year-old told the court a lot of people buy knives “for show” and he thought it was “quite cool to have a knife”.

He was then asked what people use these knives for and the 15-year-old replied to say “some people have them but never use them” and that they take pictures with them.

Mr Hynes KC proceeded to ask what was going through the 15-year-old’s mind to have bought and carried a “large weapon”.

The 15-year-old responded: “Having a knife you act tough, show it to everyone.”

The younger defendant proceeded to agree that he told and showed people he had a knife.

The defence barrister questioned why he would want to be thought of as tough. “A lot of people used to have knives and act really tough. Made me feel quite weak in a way,” replied the 15-year-old defendant. The word “threatened” was also used to describe how it made him feel.

Mr Hynes KC asked the defendant why he disposed of the knife he was in possession of in the garden of the 17-year-old defendant’s home when they arrived back after the incident.

The 15-year-old replied that he was “really worried and stressed out” and “didn’t know what to do with it”.

The court heard the Arizona custom knife that the 15-year-old defendant imported in February, which he confirmed was done over the internet, was ordered to his cousin’s address. This was the knife the 17-year-old defendant has pleaded guilty to being in possession of at the incident.

Mr Hynes KC asked the 15-year-old why he wanted it to be delivered there, to which he replied that he did not want his family – namely his parents – to know he had a knife as they are “more mature and see them as really wrong”.

The 15-year-old defendant agreed that in his eyes carrying a knife is wrong, but Mr Hynes KC asked him what changed on March 22.

The defendant, after referring back to earlier comments that it made people “look cool”, said: “Everyone was acting tough. Kids used to get arrested with them and wouldn’t get a criminal record. They used to get sent home.”

The jury heard the defendant now sees it as “really wrong” – as well as the fact he did not think he would stab someone when he bought and carried the knife, nor did it occur to him that carrying a knife was a dangerous thing before March 22.

Though, when asked by the defence barrister about how the possibility of being stabbed by someone made him feel, the 15-year-old said it was “quite scary” and agreed he had thought about the chance that someone might stab him.

The court also heard the 15-year-old defendant confirm that he now understands carrying a knife makes it more likely that someone is going to get hurt or stabbed.

The defendant continued to give evidence on Friday afternoon (July 21) and information will be published on this newspaper’s website in due course.

What else has happened in the trial so far?

The two teenage boys from Northampton, who were aged 14 and 16 at the time but are now 15 and 17, pleaded not guilty to their murder charge before Northampton Crown Court on April 24. They cannot be named for legal reasons.

Miss Jane Bickerstaff KC, the prosecuting barrister, kickstarted the trial on Wednesday (July 12) with the prosecution opening after the jury was sworn in on Monday (July 10).

The court heard the younger defendant, aged 15, faces an additional charge of carrying an article with a blade or a sharp point in a public place – which he has already pleaded guilty to.

The court heard 16-year-old Rohan Shand, known as Fred, died after being stabbed near the Cock Hotel in Harborough Road at about 3.35pm on March 22 while on his way home from Kingsthorpe College.

Miss Bickerstaff KC, of the prosecution, told the court it was the 15-year-old male defendant that carried out the stabbing and he was accompanied by the 17-year-old in the planned “joint enterprise attack” – shown by CCTV footage in court.

The stabbing followed an altercation outside McDonalds in the Drapery, which the court heard took place the day before (March 21).

A male had his “face sliced with a belt buckle” during that “dispute” and the two defendants were a friend of his. The co-defendants believed Fred Shand was at the forefront of the group responsible.

The court heard that after the co-defendants arrived at Kingsthorpe College later than planned on March 22, they rode on scooter towards the town centre via Harborough Road.

The entire incident was over in seven seconds after Fred, his teen friend and the two co-defendants came together for the first time at 3.34pm on March 22 on the green in Harborough Road, the court heard.

The co-defendants fled the scene on foot to the home of the 17-year-old, where they were detained by police shortly after – along with what is believed to be the murder weapon, a second knife and clothing worn during the incident.

During the second day of the trial (Thursday, July 13) – the first in which witnesses were called on to give evidence by the prosecution – the court saw 360 degree imagery to give them an understanding of the area, as well as video footage that has been recovered from March 22.

On the morning of the third day of the trial (Friday, July 14), the pathologist that conducted Fred’s post-mortem examination gave her expert evidence on the cause of death.

This was followed by evidence given by the teen friend who was with Fred on the day of the fatal stabbing.

Kickstarting the second week (Tuesday, July 18), the two eyewitnesses who followed the co-defendants home after the incident were called to give evidence.

The final live witness took to the stand to conclude the morning sitting, when the court heard he saw the blade pulled from the younger defendant’s trousers.

Five written witness statements were read aloud to conclude Tuesday’s sitting (July 18) – one of which detailed a nine second phone call the 15-year-old defendant had with a friend ahead of the incident.

The final eight written statements were heard the following day (Wednesday, July 19), including five from members of the police force.

Ahead of the prosecution closing its case, the jury were taken step-by-step through key moments which led to the Kingsthorpe College pupil’s death.

Having been told the agreed facts of the case, the jury heard the 17-year-old defendant has pleaded guilty to being in possession of a bladed article in Harborough Road on the day of the fatal stabbing.

The trial continues.