Fred Shand murder trial: Jury continue deliberating verdict for Northampton teens on trial for fatal stabbing

The jury will continue to deliberate the verdict into tomorrow (Friday) for the Northampton teens on trial for the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Fred Shand.

The jury first retired at around 11.35am on Wednesday morning (August 2) and following delays before they began deliberating on Thursday afternoon (August 3), they will begin their third day tomorrow.

Starting July 12 at Northampton Crown Court, the jury heard the prosecution’s case and evidence, as well as the 15-year-old defendant and the father of the 17-year-old defendant take to the stand.

Having heard the closing statements of the prosecution and defence barristers, and a summary of the case by The Honourable Mr Justice Morris, the jury are now deliberating until they reach a unanimous verdict.

The two teenage co-defendants, 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.

Alternative counts of manslaughter were added for both defendants at the end of the third week of the trial. The 15-year-old denied murder but admitted manslaughter, and the 17-year-old denied both charges.

It is for the jury to consider these charges, as well as determine if the 17-year-old defendant made his ‘withdrawal from joint enterprise’ clear to the younger defendant.

16-year-old Rohan Shand, known as Fred, died after being stabbed near the Cock Hotel in Harborough Road at 3.34pm on March 22 while on his way home from Kingsthorpe College.