A JURY has been sent out to consider its verdict in the case of a 15-year-old boy who stabbed another teenager to death outside a school.

Alfie Lewis, 15, was stabbed through the heart “in full view” of pupils leaving a primary school in the Horsforth last November, a court has heard.

Another 15-year-old is on trial at Leeds Crown Court accused of Alfie's murder.

Jurors have heard how Alfie had been walking down the street to meet friends at the end of the school day when the defendant, who was 14 at the time, stabbed him with a 13cm-long kitchen knife he had brought from his home.

The defendant has denied murder, telling the jury that he was scared he was about to be attacked when he pulled out the knife.

Ilkley Gazette: Tributes left for Alfie Lewis last year at his benchTributes left for Alfie Lewis last year at his bench (Image: Telegraph & Argus)

Prosecutor Craig Hassall KC reminded the jury how witnesses recalled Alfie looking “surprised and shocked” and saying to the defendant “What are you doing?” as the incident unfolded close to St Margaret’s Primary School, in Town Street, Horsforth, just before 3pm on November 7, 2023.

Mr Hassall said all the witnesses who saw the incident were “consistent”.

He added: “None of them suggest that Alfie was in any way the aggressor, none of them suggest it was Alfie that attacked (the defendant).

“None of the witnesses heard Alfie shouting at or threatening (the defendant). Not even (the defendant) says Alfie shouted at or threatened him.”

When the defendant gave evidence earlier this week, he told the jury how he was scared of Alfie following two incidents in the months before.

The latter of these happened on Halloween when, according to the teenager, he walked past Alfie’s house with a bag of fireworks and Alfie said to him: “Give me the bag or something worse than last time is going to happen.”

The defendant said that, when he returned to school after a half-term break, he decided to take a knife from the kitchen drawer to protect himself.

Describing the incident on November 7, he told the jury he aimlessly swung the knife to keep Alfie away, adding: “I was just trying to protect my own life.”

The jury of five men and seven women were sent out to begin their deliberations on Thursday afternoon by the judge, Mr Justice Cotter, after sitting for nine days in total so far.

The jury has now been sent home and will resume its deliberations on Friday at 10.30am.