Yousef Makki: Boy's stab death unlawful, new inquest concludes

A schoolboy who was stabbed to death by a friend was unlawfully killed, a fresh inquest has concluded.

Yousef Makki, 17, died after suffering a stab wound to the heart in Hale Barns, Greater Manchester, in 2019.

The High Court quashed the conclusions of his first inquest in 2021, two years after Yousef's friend Joshua Molnar was cleared of murder and manslaughter.

Yousef's family gasped in the public gallery as the new conclusion was read by Coroner Geraint Williams.

Speaking in a family press conference afterwards, Yousef's sister Jade Akoum said they had now received justice, adding: "I finally feel like we can move on with our lives."

The coroner at the previous inquest had ruled out accidental or unlawful killing after finding she could not be sure what happened.

But the High Court later quashed the findings and ordered a new inquest following a legal battle from Yousef's family.

Coroner Mr Williams called into question much of the previous evidence before reaching his new conclusion at Stockport Coroner's Court.

He said he found Yousef did not use a knife at the time of his death, and Molnar had not acted in self-defence and did not believe he needed to use a knife to defend himself.

Mr Williams said: "I find as a fact Yousef Makki did not use a knife to threaten or attack Joshua Molnar.

"I also find use of a knife unnecessary, disproportionate and unreasonable. I conclude he did not act in lawful self-defence.

"Therefore, I conclude that Mr Makki was unlawfully killed is fully made out by the evidence."

The teenager, from Burnage in Manchester, became friends with Molnar and another boy, Adam Chowdhary, after winning a scholarship to £12,000-a-year Manchester Grammar School.

During his trial, Molnar, now aged 22, said he had acted in self-defence when he stabbed Yousef with a flick knife.

He told the jury the pair had had a row and that Yousef had pulled a knife out first so he took out his own before his friend "came on" to his weapon, causing the fatal injury.

Chowdhary, who was with them at the time, said he did not see what happened because he was on his phone.

The court heard Chowdhary, now aged 21, had bought both flick knives online.

Molnar was cleared of murder and manslaughter but jailed for 16 months for carrying a knife in public and perverting the course of justice.

The jury heard he had initially lied to police at the scene about what had happened.

Chowdhary, now aged 21, was found not guilty of perverting the course of justice and given a four-month detention order after admitting having a knife in public.

Relatives and friends of the Makki family sat at the back of the room listening to the coroner while he read out his conclusions for 90 minutes.

Yousef's sister held her husband's hand as she sat at the front.

Speaking after the ruling, Ms Akoum said she was delighted the coroner had recognised her brother had been unlawfully killed.

"I once thought that justice meant Joshua Molnar being imprisoned for the rest of his life," she said.

"I now believe justice is what we have received here today and for him to have to live his life knowing forever that his actions took Yousef away from us from this world.

"We are pleased that the coroner recognised that Adam told lies and that he saw what happened.

"We just hope one day he will be brave enough to tell us what happened."

She added it was now "a matter for the police to decide if they do anything further".

While a jury in a criminal trial must be sure beyond reasonable doubt of guilt, at an inquest a coroner can make conclusions based on the lower standard of using a balance of probabilities.

Inquest rules mean coroners are not allowed to apportion blame to named individuals.

Det Ch Supt Jonathan Chadwick, of Greater Manchester Police, said the force would "now carefully review the ruling in consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service before considering further steps".

"We do not underestimate the impact his death has had on his loved ones and the trauma of ongoing proceedings, four and a half years on," he said.

"We understand that no outcome will bring Yousef back or lessen their heartbreak."

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