Alfie Lewis, 15, was captured on CCTV walking down the street just moments before he was brutally murdered.
The teenager was tragically stabbed to death through the heart "in full view" of pupils leaving a primary school in the Horsforth area of Leeds on November 7, 2023. Knifeman Bardia Shojaeifard, 15, claimed he was acting in self-defence but has now been found guilty by a jury and jailed for 13 years. The judge lifted reporting restrictions so the callous killer, who was just 14 at the time of Alfie's murder, can be named and pictured for the first time.
During the trial at Leeds Crown Court, the court heard Shojaeifard was his usual "bubbly and chatty" self in his last lesson of the day before horrifically attacking Alfie with a knife shortly before 3pm. The then-14-year-old stabbed Alfie twice - once in the chest and once in the leg - resulting in catastrophic bleeding.
Bardia Shojaeifard, 15, stabbed Alfie Lewis to death in broad daylight after school (West Yorkshire Police)
The 15-year-old schoolboy was captured on CCTV walking down a street moments before (Leeds Live/MEN Media)The incident happened on a busy street during the school run, when Alfie was on his way to meet friends from Horsforth School, where he had previously been a student. CCTV footage shared by the police showed Alfie walking down the street and passing a corner, wearing a hoodie and joggers, before he was attacked with a 13cm long kitchen knife.
Eyewitnesses, including children, school staff and members of the public, gave evidence in court that they had seen Shojaeifard approach Alfie and attack him without provocation. They reported seeing Alfie backing away and being heard saying "chill out" and "What are you doing?" as the youth swung at him with the knife.
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A schoolboy witness, who was walking back from school with Shojaeifard, said: "Normally we just cut through in front of the gate to the primary school but whilst we were walking (the defendant) just cut off me to go to Alfie's direction. I was just really confused why he just left me, so I just carried on walking."
The witness said the defendant looked "more concentrated" after seeing Alfie. He told the court that as he was walking away, he heard Alfie shout: "Chill out." The witness said: "I turned round and saw (the defendant) holding a knife and attacking Alfie." He said Alfie was walking backwards at the time, adding: "After (the defendant) stabbed Alfie, he just ran off."
Eyewitnesses saw Alfie fall to the floor and scream 'chill out' as he was horrifically stabbed in the heart (PA)A girl who saw the incident described seeing a boy "standing innocently" and being approached by another boy. In a pre-recorded interview played in court, she said: "I don't know what he was doing but he was standing there, he wasn't doing anything and the other guy came up to him. They started pushing each other. The one in the grey outfit fell on the floor and he was screaming. He was saying 'chill out'. He fell on his back with his knees upwards."
The girl said she could only see the other boy, who was wearing a school uniform, from behind but saw him flicking his knife around three times. "You could tell it was a knife because it was really sharp," she said. The witness said the boy in grey "had his hands up" and appeared to be trying to push the other boy back. She added: "I was really scared at that point. I didn't see every detail. I was just thinking 'Call the police or something'. I was too scared to do anything."
A woman who was walking to do the school run said she saw the two boys "fighting in some way", and witnessed one "stab (Alfie) in the chest". She told the court: "I'm not sure what the altercation was. However, Alfie didn't do anything to him personally to start a fight with him. Alfie seemed like the innocent party, he hadn't raised a fist to him." Asked if Alfie had kicked the defendant, she said: "Alfie didn't fight back. He was scared for his life and you could tell."
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