‘Outwardly normal’ teen posed with knives before stabbing Alfie Lewis in heart (2024)

An “outwardly normal” 15-year-oldhas been unmasked as a knife-obsessed killer as he was jailed for stabbing another schoolboy through the heart with a five-inch blade.

Bardia Shojaeifard targeted “big hearted” and “caring” Alfie Lewis, 15, with a kitchen knife in a vicious attack in front of horrified children leaving a primary school in the Horsforth area of Leeds last November.

The killer, who was 14 at the time, was jailed for life with a minimum of 13 years on Friday after he was was found guilty of murdering Alfie at Leeds Crown Court in April.

Shojaeifard can be named for the first time after the judge lifted reporting restrictions preventing him from being identified for carrying out the “revenge” attack on Alfie following an altercation a week earlier.

Mr Justice Cotter said naming the killer would help in the “vitally important debate about the scourge of knife crime, among young people in particular”.

The case comes after The Independent revealed schools are facing four knife crime incidents each week, with 738 reports of people carrying knives or sharp instruments in schools last year

Mr Justice Cotter said the public would be wondering how a young boy “from a loving and supportive family” could commit such an “extraordinary” crime.

The court heard Shojaeifard had no interest in drugs, gangs or mental health issues and was the son of “utterly decent, loving parents”, but pictures released by police show him posing with terrifying blades.

In one picture found on his phone he was seen holding a huge knife with a scarf wrapped around his face.

During the trial, jurors were told the photo was taken while visiting family last summer, but prosecutors said it showed the defendant had “more than a passing interest in knives”.

Another photo showed Shojaeifard posing with a black-handled knife that had been photoshopped into his hand.

In a stark warning as he jailed the teen, Mr Justice Cotter said: “Knives have stolen so many lives, and you and others must understand how dangerous this obsession is.

“Without your interest in knivesAlfiewould be here today.”

He added: “Alfiewas a much loved and loving son and nephew, a friend to many - kind and big-hearted with a love of football, something you shared, you even played together in Year 5.

“Despite his difficulties at school he had many positive qualities. He had a long life ahead of him and you took that away.”

Addressing her son’s killer directly as she delivered a tearful victim impact statement in court,Alfie‘s mother Heather Lane said: “No sentence will ever be enough for what you have done. I will never, ever forgive you.

“Alfiewas my heart and when he was stabbed in the heart it killed me too.”

She describedAlfieas her “big-hearted boy” who was known for “sorting out everyone’s problems and being the peacekeeper”.

“We laughed, danced and smiled, we loved each other for 15 years and I thought we would for the rest of my life,” she added.

Meanwhile Alfie‘s older brother, AntonyLewis, said the schoolboy was his “loving and caring little mate” who “never deserved what happened to him” in a statement read to the court.

During the trial, prosecutor Craig Hassall KC saidAlfiehad been walking down the road to meet friends at the end of the school day when Shojaeifard launched the unprovoked attack.

Witnesses recalledAlfielooking “surprised and shocked”, saying “chill out” and “what are you doing?”as the incident unfolded close to St Margaret’s Primary School in Horsforth, just before 3pm on November 7 2023.

The prosecutor said: “Alfiedid not get as far as meeting any of his friends that day. He was approached by (the defendant), and stabbed twice - once in the chest and once in the leg.

“He collapsed and died in the road close to the primary school in full view of scores of pupils leaving school and the people who were waiting to collect them.”

Mr Hassall said a post-mortem examination found that the fatal stab injury was a 14cm deep wound toAlfie’s chest which punctured his heart.

He told the jury the defendant “then fled the scene, dropping the murder weapon in the road close to the primary school”.

The court heard all the witnesses were “consistent” in saying thatAlfiewas “not the aggressor” that day.

Shojaeifard had admitted stabbing Alfie with a blade he had brought from home but denied murder, claiming he was scared for his life when he pulled out the weapon.

The defendant insisted he was frightened of Alfie following an alleged incident on Halloween and decided to take a knife from the kitchen drawer to protect himself.

Mr Justice Cotter said he did not accept Shojaeifard’s evidence that he was “trying to scareAlfieaway and swung the knife aimlessly”.

“You intended to cause him really serious harm. You carefully planned to confrontAlfieto gain revenge for whatever happened on October 31,” the judge told the defendant.

Alfie’s family said they were “disappointed” with the 13-year sentence, claiming it does not reflect the seriousness of his actions.

In a statement released after the sentencing hearing, the family said they “will never be complete again”, adding: “Knife crime is an epidemic affecting our youth, even when they are innocent as Alfiewas.

“Our efforts now must go on trying to influence the changes which are needed to the law to stop our babies being killed so senselessly.”