Youth remanded on murder charge after Yousef Makki stabbing
A 17-year-old boy has appeared in court charged with the murder of a grammar school pupil who was stabbed to death in a village.
Yousef Makki, 17, who dreamed of becoming a heart surgeon, was attacked on Saturday in Hale Barns, a leafy village south of Manchester popular with top footballers and celebrities.
On Wednesday, the defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Manchester Youth Court charged with Yousef’s murder and possession of a lock knife.
He was remanded in custody to appear at Manchester Crown Court on Thursday.
The teenager, whose family members were at the front of the small courtroom, spoke to give his name and date of birth. He nodded as he was told he would be remanded.
Danielle Allanson, prosecuting, said the youth court had no discretion to deal with the case so it must be sent to the Crown and no application for bail could be made until then.
About a dozen members of the press were in court for the hearing, which lasted a few minutes.
Another 17-year-old boy, who also cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared in the same court on Wednesday afternoon charged with possession of a knife and assisting an offender by disposing of the weapon.
He smiled to family members who sat in court as he entered the dock.
Magistrates granted him bail until March 28, when he will appear at Manchester Youth Court again.
Chairwoman of the bench Joyce Fletcher outlined bail conditions including a curfew between 7pm and 7am.
She said he must not apply for any international travel documents and the court heard he had surrendered his passport.
Yousef, from Burnage, Manchester, is thought to have won a scholarship to attend the £12,000-a-year independent Manchester Grammar School.
In a tribute, his family described the teenager as a “loving and caring son and brother” who was sporty and a dedicated student.
“We are absolutely devastated and cannot believe that our son has gone. This senseless loss has affected the whole community,” they said.
“Yousef had only phoned home hours earlier to say that he would be home for his tea, but the next knock at the door were officers with the tragic news, it is every parent’s worst nightmare.”
Police were alerted at around 6.40pm on Saturday to reports that a teenager had been stabbed on Gorse Bank Road, Hale Barns.
Officers attended the scene and Yousef was taken to hospital, where he died a short time later.
Floral tributes have been left on the tree-lined street where Yousef was found.
A two-minute silence was held on Monday by pupils and staff at his school, which described him as “a dearly loved young man and incredibly bright pupil” who was studying four A-levels and had aspirations to pursue a career in medicine.
