Fred Shand murder trial: Younger defendant described as 17-year-old’s ‘attack dog’ in prosecution closing statement

“Do not act on any feelings of sympathy because they are just kids,” the prosecution told the jury during the closing statements of the trial of the 15 and 17-year-old charged with the murder of Northampton teen Fred Shand.

Since July 12 at Northampton Crown Court, the jury has 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. This came after the court heard the older defendant would not be giving evidence.

Alternative counts of manslaughter have now been added for both defendants. The 15-year-old denies murder but admits manslaughter, and the 17-year-old denies both charges.

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

Miss Jane Bickerstaff KC, prosecuting, kickstarted the closing statements by referring to the incident as a “planned, anticipated and violent attack” on Fred in light of a dispute the previous day.

Referring to the stabbing as a “joint enterprise attack” as the co-defendants were “in it together”, Miss Bickerstaff KC reminded the jury of the messages they have seen where the pair formulated a “plan” and the fact they were both armed at the time.

The court heard Miss Bickerstaff KC believes the 17-year-old defendant intended to assist or encourage the 15-year-old, and they wanted more people to join them for “greater strength in numbers”.

The prosecution referenced the 15-year-old defendant’s evidence, when he told the court how many youths carry knives, he needed it for protection, and the fact he never intended to use it – but would brandish it as a deterrent if another person were to get one out themselves.

Miss Bickerstaff KC said: “The Crown simply does not accept that is true.”

The prosecution went on to tell the court that if the jury were to accept that the incident was an “accident waiting to happen” as the younger defendant, aged 14 at the time, did not intend to cause physical harm let alone death, Miss Bickerstaff KC told the jury they would be “going against the direct evidence in this case”.

Though the prosecuting barrister admitted there are flaws to CCTV footage in terms of the quality and sound, and some recollections in eyewitness accounts, Miss Bickerstaff went on to suggest evidence that may help the jury in their deliberations.

Miss Bickerstaff KC told the court this was “not simply some incident that went out of hand”, and that the evidence shows the defendants acted “purposefully” and followed their “plan”.

The prosecution addressed the court about the 15-year-old defendant’s evidence, when he told the court that he imported the smaller of the two knives in February this year as the larger knife was uncomfortable to keep on his waistband and walk with.

“He lies to and deceives his own parents about what he is up to because he knows they will disapprove,” Miss Bickerstaff KC told the court.

The jury were then addressed about the pair being armed with knives and having made a stop on the scooter for the older defendant to be passed his, as well as the fact they both wore face coverings on the day of the incident.

Miss Bickerstaff KC referred to the 15-year-old defendant’s “intent to cause at least serious harm to Fred” and the Crown’s case is that “those defendants were in it together from beginning to end”.

Having described the older defendant as the “organ grinder”, Miss Bickerstaff KC then proceeded to call the younger defendant his “attack dog”. The prosecution told the court about the influence they believe the 17-year-old, 16 at the time, will have had being two years older than his co-defendant.

“You know he’s the one that orders his attack dog,” said Miss Bickerstaff KC, who then referred to the older defendant’s request for his younger co-defendant to bring “tools”.

Addressing the court of the analogy of an attack dog and an owner, Miss Bickerstaff KC added: “No one would suggest only the dog was responsible. The owner is equally, if not more responsible.”

The court previously heard that in a conversation ahead of the incident, the 17-year-old defendant allegedly said that he did not have the heart to use the knives as the pair knew Fred and his friend would have travelled from school and would not be armed.

It was also alleged that the older defendant said they should “just fight”, which the younger defendant denied in his evidence – and this was brought up in the prosecution’s closing statement.

“If [the older defendant] no longer wished to be part of the joint plan, why was he masked?” Miss Bickerstaff KC went on to question.

She also reminded the jury that the older defendant was driving the scooter to the scene of the incident and was quick to jump off and abandon it when they met Fred and his teen friend.

Concluding the statement, the prosecution asked the members of the jury to “not act on any feelings of sympathy because they are just kids”.

Miss Bickerstaff KC likened the impact of a 16-year-old intending to kill or cause grievous bodily harm to that of someone “older and more mature”.

“It causes a needless loss of life. A young life,” she said. “These two defendants are equally guilty of the murder of Fred Shand and that is the proper verdict in each case.”

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 pleaded guilty to from the outset.

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 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 the sitting on Tuesday, 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 had 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 the afternoon of Friday, July 21, when the jury heard him say young people buy knives “for show” and to “look cool”.

The younger defendant also proceeded to tell the court he felt “upset” seeing a picture of Fred Shand for the first time because of “how it happened and how it went down”.

Continuing his evidence on July 24, the 15-year-old 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.

That same afternoon, the younger defendant described the moments leading up to the fatal stabbing and said he “did not realise” he stabbed Fred until the 16-year-old collapsed and he saw the blood on his knife.

The 15-year-old admitted going against an “agreement” with his older co-defendant not to use a knife in the confrontation with Fred and his friend when he was cross-examined in court on July 25.

Miss Bickerstaff KC, prosecuting, accused the 15-year-old of “telling lots of lies” to the jury. During the conclusion of his evidence, the court heard the younger defendant obtained the knife that killed Fred by asking “strangers” in the street to buy the blade for him.

Benjamin Aina KC, defending the 17-year-old, told Northampton Crown Court on July 27 that his client will not be giving any evidence in the murder trial.

The 17-year-old’s father, however, did take the stand as a witness and told the jury that he threw away a machete he used for “cutting wood” after discovering a photo of his son posing with it on his phone.

The Honourable Mr Justice Morris began giving legal directions to jurors on Friday, July 28. This set out the important factors they need to take into account when deciding if each defendant is guilty of murder or manslaughter.

The trial continues.