Fred Shand murder trial: Younger defendant describes moment he stabbed Northampton teen

The younger defendant charged with Fred Shand’s murder has told a court that he “did not realise” he had stabbed the 16-year-old until he had collapsed on the ground.

The 15-year-old defendant was asked to recall what happened in the moments leading up to 16-year-old Fred Shand being fatally stabbed in Harborough Road on March 22.

He recalled spotting Fred and his friend in Harborough Road when the older defendant, who was 16 at the time, was driving the scooter they were both on.

The 15-year-old defendant, who was 14 at the time, said he posted a picture of himself wearing a balaclava and holding a large knife online to let Fred and his friend know that he was in the area and ready to fight him. This followed because of an altercation that had taken place in McDonalds in The Drapery the previous day.

The court heard that Fred followed his friend onto the green in the middle of Harborough Road as the two defendants crossed the pelican crossing. This caused the 15-year-old to believe the pair had also spotted them.

Mr Paul Hynes KC, the 15-year-old’s defence barrister, asked: “Why did there have to be a fight at that point? Why could you just not carry on with the scooter, go past them and disappear?”

“I never really thought about that,” the younger defendant replied, “I felt like it was just too late.”

The 15-year-old said he became “surprised, nervous and anxious” when Fred and his friend ran towards them instead of running away because his intention was just to “confront and scare them.”

The defendant told the court: “I went there thinking I am going to beat him up and I am the one who’s going to be the scary one.”

“It just changed my whole plan. It went in a whole different way,” he added.

The court heard that Fred and the older defendant, who was 16 at the time, ran towards each other after Fred removed his belt and the older defendant ended up on the ground. The 15-year-old claimed that Fred “swung” his belt at the 17-year-old and then backed off when he was on the floor.

The 15-year-old confirmed it was at that point when he removed a large knife from his waistband and moved towards Fred.

When asked why, the defendant said: “To scare him, to make him back off. I thought he was going to run away when he saw it.”

Fred did not, however, run away or make any indication of being scared - the court heard.

The 15-year-old said that, when he pulled out the knife, Fred commented: “What, you think I’m scared of a shank?”

The court heard that Fred moved towards a nearby tree, with his back to it.

When asked why he did not just let Fred stay where he was, the younger defendant said it happened “fast” and told the barrister, “You wouldn’t understand it unless you were in our situation, our shoes.”

The 15-year-old alleged that Fred raised the belt in his hand again and he did not realise that he subsequently stabbed Fred until he collapsed.

“I remember looking at the knife and, on the end of the knife, there was blood,” he told jurors. “I remember looking at [co-defendant] and he looked at me and he was scared. I was shocked that I done it.”

The court heard that, after stabbing Fred, the 15-year-old began to chase Fred’s friend with the knife still in his hand before both defendants fled to the 17-year-old’s house, unaware that two eyewitnesses followed them in their cars.

The younger defendant recalled the older defendant asking him afterwards, “What the **** did you do?” to which he replied, “I don’t know.”

The court heard that the 15-year-old attempted to conceal the knife used to stab Fred under a dog’s bed and hide the clothes he was wearing because he was “scared of being arrested.” He was later discovered by police hiding behind a box in the roof conversion of the 17-year-old’s house.

When asked to recollect his dad coming to the police station, the younger defendant began to weep on the stand. The court heard that the 15-year-old spoke with his solicitor and followed the advice given to him before giving a “no comment” interview to police.

Mr Hynes asked the defendant, “Did you intend to hurt Fred in any way on 22 March?”

“Yes,” the defendant replied.

He, however, denied intending to cause serious injury or killing Fred.

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 15-year-old defendant stood to give evidence in court for the first time on Friday afternoon (July 21), when the court heard him say young people buy knives “for show” and to “look cool”.The younger defendant charged with murder said he felt ‘upset’ seeing a picture of the 16-year-old Fred Shand for the first time because of “how it happened and how it went down”.

The 15-year-old defendant, continuing his evidence on July 24, said he wore a balaclava and carried a knife on the day of the fatal stabbing to “look as scary as possible” but claimed he had no intention of using the knife as a weapon.

The trial continues.