POLICE have released a video of the horrifying moment teenage Syrian refugee Ahmad Al Ibrahim was fatally stabbed in the neck by murderer Alfie Franco.
Franco, 20, of the Crescent, in Kirkburton was found guilty of murdering 16-year-old Ahmad at Leeds Crown Court today.
He drove a flick knife he was carrying in his trousers into the boy’s neck and CCTV footage then shows Ahmad clutching his throat and staggering up few yards up the street before collapsing.
West Yorkshire Police has shared this video footage, which shows the fatal moment Franco stabbed his victim – described by a detective as “chilling in its simplicity and brutality” – as well as the lead-up to the killing and aftermath.
Leeds Crown Court heard during the trial that on April 3, Ahmad was walking around the town with a friend, and Franco was going to buy eyelash glue with his girlfriend after a Jobcentre appointment.
When the two pairs crossed paths, Franco took “some petty exception” to Ahmad “innocuously” walking past his girlfriend, jurors were told.
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CCTV footage shows Franco saying something to Ahmad, and calling him over after a short verbal altercation.
As Ahmad walked over, Franco opened the blade on a flick knife he was carrying in his trousers and drove it into the boy’s neck.
Prosecutors said Franco kept the knife hidden “in a sly way” until the last second so that Ahmad, who was unarmed, “didn’t have a chance”.
Alfie Franco (left), 20, has been found guilty of murdering Ahmad Al Ibrahim(Image: West Yorkshire Police/PA)
Temporary Detective Superintendent Damian Roebuck of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, who led the police investigation, said: “We welcome the jury’s verdict in convicting Franco for what was a horrific attack which was absolutely chilling in its simplicity and brutality.
“With no provocation whatsoever, he produced a knife and struck a blow targeted straight at Ahmad’s neck.
“We have always maintained he can only have intended to kill this young man who had done absolutely nothing to provoke him.
“Ahmad’s family have described his kind and gentle nature and excitement about building a future away from the conflict in Syria in which he himself had been injured.
“For him to lose his life in such a pointless, motiveless attack in our communities at the hands of someone he never met is an absolute tragedy for him and all those who knew him.
“We can only hope they can take some small measure of comfort today for seeing his killer convicted for this appalling and inexplicable offence.”
The jury in the trial returned a verdict of guilty for murder on Thursday afternoon after just over three hours of deliberations.
Franco admitted a charge of possessing a knife in a public place at an earlier hearing.
He will be sentenced on Friday afternoon.