Shawn Seesahai, 19, was killed by two 13-year-old boys with a machete; they will be imprisoned for at least eight years and six months.
The two, who were 12 years old when the Wolverhampton murder occurred, are the youngest people to be found guilty of a homicide since Jon Venables and Robert Thompson killed two-year-old James Bulger in 1993.
The boys, who shall remain nameless, will have a lifelong licence.
The family of Mr. Seesahai has expressed their displeasure, telling the BBC that they thought the lads’ punishments were excessively light.
Maneshwary Seesahai, his mother, expressed her displeasure. When kids in the UK realise they only get eight years [and six months], they’ll all act in the same way.
Suresh Seesahai, his father, told the BBC: “I’m not satisfied with the justice system, but the police did a good job.”
“Fifteen years would have been better, because they will come out and still have a life at the age of 20.”
The boys are being held at the pleasure of His Majesty, which is the juvenile version of a life sentence. They will remain in juvenile prison facilities, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.
The lads might never leave the area if they are deemed a risk to the public prison.
However, if they make good progress and are considered not be a risk and behave well, they will be released – subject to the parole board agreeing – when they are 20.
The case’s horrifying and terrible facts were presented to Nottingham Crown Court by the judge, Mrs. Justice Tipples.
In addition to being beaten, Mr. Seesahai was struck in the back, knees, and skull with a machete.
He died from a machete-inflicted back stab wound that went through his heart and lungs.
The lethal incision nearly penetrated his whole torso, measuring 23 cm (9.05 inches) in depth.
During the boys’ sentence, the judge said, “I cannot be sure which one of you stabbed Shawn through the body, only you know that.”
She did, however, add that the two “acted together to kill him” and that “you are both responsible for his death.”
“What you two did is appalling and horrifying. Shawn was a stranger to you; you didn’t know him,” the judge declared.
The first youngster kept the £40 machete he had purchased from a friend under his bed, according to Mrs. Tipples’ testimony before the court.
On the day of the murder, he changed out of his school uniform when he got home from school, grabbed the machete, and went to meet the other boy and several pals.
According to her, Mr. Seesahai was sitting on a bench at the Stowlawn playing fields in Wolverhampton when he briefly left the bench and strolled past the defendants, who subsequently returned to the bench.
After a while, Mr. Seesahai returned to the bench few minutes and asked the boys to move.
“Moments later he was dead,” the judge said.
The lads’ histories and mental health conditions were revealed to the court during the sentencing process.
The first youngster was a vulnerable child who had been raised, manipulated, and trafficked by individuals in the community who encouraged him to commit crimes and possess blades, defence attorney Rachel Brand KC told the judge.
During his sentencing, Mrs. Justice Tipples called him “a victim of modern slavery” and stated that this “contributed indirectly to his participation in Shawn’s murder”.
The court was informed that he had been involved with social services since birth and that he had witnessed domestic violence at a very young age.
On the other hand, Ms. Brand reported that he was establishing trustworthy relationships with personnel and making “very positive progress” at a secure unit.
The second boy was not known to social services or the police, with Mrs Tipples saying he had a supporting and loving relationship with his family.
She said he had experienced upheaval throughout his childhood and that he had spent some time in a refuge.
The report assessed him as of a medium risk of reoffending and of a high risk of being a serious harm to others.
Before his murder, Mr. Seesahai, a Caribbean native from Anguilla, had only been living in the UK for six months.
He had hurt himself shooting hoops and had flown to the UK for eye surgery.
The 19-year-old planned to pursue an engineering degree after relocating to Handsworth, Birmingham.
Shawn was such a lovely son; he was so well-mannered, took care of us, was kind to everyone, and extremely protective, according to his mother.
“He promised me he would complete his education after his eye operation. “Mum, don’t worry, I’ll help you. I’ll be shining, I’ll be shining,” was his constant refrain.
His family said they had used up all of their life savings to repatriate his body back to Anguilla and had to take out a loan to attend the trial earlier this year.
“No-one expects to have to bury their own child. We were not prepared for this,” they said.
Dorothea Hodge, the UK representative for Anguilla, was representing the family during the hearing.
She said that while the family recognised justice had been served in respect of the murder, they were “disappointed in the sentence”.
“Whilst they recognise that three young lives have been destroyed, they alone have lost their son forever,” she said.
“They do not feel that the sentence reflects the loss they have suffered daily since their son was murdered.
“They feel that if low sentences are given, it will not deter others from carrying knives.”
