Yousef Makki, a schoolboy who was killed by a friend, has been found to have been unlawfully killed in a new inquest. Makki, who was 17 at the time, received a stab wound to the heart in Hale Barns, Greater Manchester in 2019. Joshua Molnar, Yousef’s friend, was cleared of murder and manslaughter in the previous inquest in 2021. The High Court recently overturned the ruling, leading to a new inquest. Yousef’s family was present in the public gallery when the verdict was read by Coroner Geraint Williams, causing them to gasp in shock.
The previous inquest’s coroner ruled out accidental or unlawful death due to a lack of clear understanding of what occurred. The new ruling went against earlier findings, with Mr Williams strongly questioning much of the evidence presented during previous proceedings. He stated that Molnar was not acting in self-defense, did not believe he needed to use a knife, and that Yousef did not have a knife at the time of his death. Yousef had won a scholarship to the £12,000-per-year Manchester Grammar School and had become friends with Molnar and Adam Chowdhary.
During Molnar’s trial, he claimed that he acted in defense after Yousef pulled out a knife. Chowdhary testified that he did not see what happened because he was on his phone. The court heard that Chowdhary bought the flick knives used in the incident, which were purchased online. Molnar was found guilty of carrying a knife in public and perverting the course of justice and was sentenced to 16 months in jail. Chowdhary was found guilty of having a knife in public and was given a four-month detention order.
Coroners are not allowed to assign blame to named individuals, while juries in criminal trials must be sure beyond any doubt of an individual’s guilt. The Greater Manchester Police have stated that they will review the ruling before deciding what to do next in consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service
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