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Harley Barfield
A teenage boy has been given a life sentence, after being convicted of murdering 16-year-old Harley Barfield in Haverhill at the beginning of this year.
The 17-year-old defendant - who cannot be named for legal reasons due to his age - appeared at Ipswich Crown Court today, Tuesday 19 December, where he was handed a life sentence with a minimum custodial term of 17 years.
The defendant, who was aged 16 at the time of the attack, had been found guilty of murder on Friday 10 November following a trial lasting over four weeks.
The court heard that the motive for the attack stemmed from the defendant’s obsession with Harley’s girlfriend, who he had dated previously and refused to accept the relationship had ended.
Evidence was heard of the defendant’s unwanted and obsessive contact with his ex-girlfriend together with relentless calls and messages over several weeks, including how he would go ‘mental’ if the photo on the front of her phone was of Harley and that if he found out she was with someone else he would kill them.
The defendant had also self-harmed - blaming his ex-girlfriend - and when one of his friends reported this to the school in November 2022 (believing he was doing the right thing), the defendant treated this as a betrayal and reacted by assaulting him at school.
On the evening of Friday 6 January – three days before the murder – the defendant had walked past his ex-girlfriend’s home on a couple of occasions with a friend. During this part of the evening the defendant made calls to his ex-girlfriend, spoke on the phone with Harley who was at her address and made a comment about her room light being on.
After the conversation with Harley ended, the defendant - who was described as angry - asked his friend to return to the address with him. The friend refused and the defendant returned and walked past the address alone before being collected from the nearby park with no meeting taking place.
On the day of the attack – Monday 9 January - the defendant left school early at 2.30pm and earlier in the day had been heard to say he had “business to handle”. He was captured on CCTV at 2.39pm having changed out of his school uniform into a hooded top and tracksuit bottoms displaying an element of pre-planning for what he was intending to do.
The defendant knew that Harley would often meet with his girlfriend and other friends after school and so he made his way to Strasbourg Square where he waited for Harley.
The defendant approached Harley when he saw him and instigated a fight between the two boys, which initially began with punches being thrown, before the defendant pulled out a knife and began stabbing Harley in a violent attack and then ran away from the scene, taking the knife with him.
The emergency services were called and began treating Harley at the scene who had sustained various injuries to his head and upper body area, including defensive wounds to his hand and wrist. However, the most significant injuries were three stab wounds which included a stab wound to his chest and heart.
Harley was initially taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital for treatment, before being transferred to the Royal Papworth Hospital. Sadly, despite the best efforts of medical staff and brave resistance from Harley, he passed away on Wednesday 11 January.
A Home Office post-mortem examination identified that Harley had sustained a number of stab and puncture wounds, with the one to his chest and heart proving to be fatal.
The defendant was named as the suspect by witnesses and police began to search for him immediately. He was located and arrested around 45 minutes later and taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre for questioning. He was subsequently charged with murder on Wednesday 11 January.
In his initial account given to police, the defendant lied about what had happened. He told officers he had met Harley by chance and that Harley had instigated the fight and had the knife. He claimed he had picked-up the knife after it had been dropped and then used it in self-defence.
However, the knife was recovered by police from the side of a river not far from the scene of the attack and following analysis was found to have been part of a set taken from the defendant’s home. Harley’s blood and DNA were found on the blade.
The police investigation also revealed internet searches on the defendant’s phone that included ‘how long in prison for murder’ and ‘how to stab someone’.
The defendant had pleaded guilty to manslaughter and possession of the knife, but denied murder on the partial defence of diminished responsibility. However, having considered the evidence during the trial the jury found him guilty of murder by a majority verdict of 10-2.
In his sentencing remarks today, the judge said that the killing was premediated and that the defendant had shown little remorse about what he did. The court commended the police investigation and the work of DCI Stuart Chapman, DC Paul Fallows and DC Hazel Flower; along with the family liaison officers, Acting DS Claire Wright and Acting DS Janet Harris; and analyst Samantha Lanning.
Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Chapman, the Senior Investigating Officer, said: “Tragically Harley lost his life in circumstances that stemmed from the defendant’s obsession and jealousy. An obsession with his ex-girlfriend and Jealousy of her new boyfriend Harley.
“So much so, this came to a head when defendant, having left school early, waited in the area and confronted Harley using a knife in a planned and violent attack. A knife that he chose to carry, that he chose to use and that he tried to dispose of in an effort to mislead police and minimise what he had done.
“The impact of those actions have been devastating for so many people; families, friends, the community, witnesses and those so young and very close to Harley who tried desperately to save his life and comfort him, for which they should be proud.
“My thoughts are with Harley’s family and friends who continue to deal with this devastation and whilst today’s sentence will never undo what has happened, I do hope it will give some comfort.
“I want to issue a plea to anyone who believes it is acceptable to carry a knife to think long and hard about the risks of doing so and the impact and devastation this causes. It is not acceptable and anyone who thinks different, I urge you to consider the consequences.”
Previous release | 10 November 2023
A teenage boy has been found guilty of murder, following the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Harley Barfield in Haverhill at the beginning of this year.
The 16-year-old defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons due to his age, was convicted at Ipswich Crown Court today, Friday 10 November, following a trial lasting over four weeks.
The incident occurred at just after 3pm on Monday 9 January, in a car park next to Strasbourg Square. Harley had been walking towards the shops with a friend when he was approached by the defendant – who was known to him - and appeared to have been waiting for him.
The defendant then instigated a fight between the two boys, which initially began with punches being thrown, before the defendant pulled out a knife and began stabbing Harley in a violent attack.
Harley sustained various injuries to his head and upper body area, including defensive wounds to his hand and wrist. However, the most significant injuries were three stab wounds which included a stab wound to his chest and heart.
Harley was initially taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital for treatment, before being transferred to the Royal Papworth Hospital. Sadly, despite the best efforts of medical staff and brave resistance from Harley, he passed away on Wednesday 11 January.
A Home Office post-mortem examination identified that Harley had sustained a number of stab and puncture wounds, with the one to his chest and heart proving to be fatal.
Following the attack, the defendant fled the scene taking the knife with him. The emergency services were called and began treating Harley at the scene.
The defendant was named as the suspect by witnesses and police began to search for him immediately. He was located and arrested around 45 minutes later and taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre for questioning. He was subsequently charged with murder on Wednesday 11 January.
The court heard that the motive for the attack stemmed from the defendant’s obsession with Harley’s girlfriend, who he had dated previously. He refused to accept the relationship had ended and became jealous of Harley, regarding him as an obstacle to a reunion with his ex-girlfriend.
In his initial account given to police, the defendant lied about what had happened. He told officers he had met Harley by chance and that Harley had instigated the fight and had the knife. He claimed he had picked-up the knife after it had been dropped and then used it in self-defence.
However, the knife was recovered from the side of a river not far from the scene of the attack and following analysis was found to have been part of a set taken from the defendant’s home. Harley’s blood and DNA were found on the blade.
The defendant later pleaded guilty to manslaughter and possession of the knife, but denied murder on the partial defence of diminished responsibility. However, the jury found him guilty of murder by a majority verdict of 10-2.
He has been remanded in custody pending a sentencing hearing due to be held at Ipswich Crown Court on Tuesday 19 December.