UK police 'disappointed' after 17-year-old cleared of murder despite stabbing British Lebanese teenager

The boy who stabbed 17-year-old Yousef Makki in the heart with a flick knife has been cleared of murder charges.

Yousef Makki was stabbed in Greater Manchester on March 2 by a 17-year-old referred to as Boy A. 

He was accused of killing Makki "in a row over an attempt to rob a drug dealer" the BBC reported, but denied it was murder and claimed self defence.

Boy A was also not charged with manslaughter, in a verdict reached by the jury after a four-week-trial in Manchester.

The public gallery erupted in "shock and disbelief" after the verdict was read out, BBC Radio Manchester reporter Richard Stead said.

Yousef's father Ghaleb Makki banged on the court divider, swearing and shouting "Where's the justice for my son? Where's the justice?" before breaking out in tears.

A detective from Greater Manchester Police has said the force is "dissapointed" with the verdict.

A statement released by the family of Boy A said there were "no winners in this case".

"Yousef's death was a tragedy and our son will have to live with the responsibility of his role for the rest of his life."

Yousef Makki attended Manchester Grammar School. From a single-parent Anglo-Lebanese family, he had won a prestigious £12,000 scholarship to attend the school.

A second teenager was also involved. Referred to as Boy B, he was found not guilty on charges of perverting the course of justice and conspiracy to rob.

Both boys have admitted to carrying a knife and will be sentenced for those charges on July 25. 

'Idiotic fantasies'

The details of what occurred on the day Yousef Makki was stabbed came out during the trial. 

The jury was told that the the stabbing was an "accident waiting to happen" and that all three boys indulged in"idiotic fantasies", the BBC reported.

They played as middle-class gangsters, despite the privileged backgrounds of the defendants who led "double lives".

It was revealed in the trial that the defendants and Makki smoked cannabis. Videos posted on social media showed the three making threats and posing with knives.

The teenagers planned to rob a drug dealer with which Boy B had arranged a cannabis deal. 

Yousef and Boy B fled after the robbery went wrong and Boy A was beaten up. A fight between Boy A and Yousef later broke out, and Youssef was stabbed after both pulled out knives.

"As Yousef lay dying, the defendants hid the knives in bushes and down a drain, dialled 999 and tried to staunch Yousef's chest wound," the BBC reported.

The defendants later lied to police, telling them they found Yousef stabbed. Boy A will be charged with preventing the course of justice later in July.

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