00:00 I'm going to need to see this. Sorry, that would be good, wouldn't it?
00:07 Yeah, OK.
00:08 Could you just give your name and title first?
00:24 Yeah, it's Detective Inspector Simon Barton, Northamptonshire Police, major crime.
00:31 OK, ready?
00:33 A 15-year-old boy has been sentenced to a minimum of 13 years in detention for the murder of teenager Rowan Shand,
00:40 who was killed on his way home from school in Kingsport, Northampton.
00:44 Affectionately known as Fred by his family and friends,
00:47 the 16-year-old died after an incident near the Cock Hotel in Harbour Road at about 3.35pm on Wednesday March 2022.
00:58 During the trial at Northampton Crown Court, jurors heard how the attack on Fred was plotted on Snapchat
01:04 and an electric scooter was used to find him.
01:08 The attack was planned in response to a dispute between local schoolboys,
01:12 which had occurred the previous two days at Taco Bell and McDonald's.
01:17 Fred was walking from school with friends and was near the Cock Hotel junction
01:22 when the 15-year-old found him, having already attended the school looking for him.
01:27 Fred and his friend crossed to the island after being made aware the defendants were looking for him,
01:33 but it was too late to avoid the confrontation that followed.
01:38 The 15-year-old approached Fred and having driven him back into a tree,
01:42 stabbed him into the chest, causing catastrophic blood loss before fleeing.
01:48 The entire incident was over in seven seconds.
01:52 Two upstanding members of the public who witnessed the incident
01:55 followed the defendant to a nearby house and were able to inform police of his location.
02:01 Armed officers attended the address and found the 15-year-old hiding in an attic room
02:06 after being told the guy who did it is still inside the house.
02:11 Two knives, one with Fred's blood on it, were found at the property,
02:15 along with discarded clothing and mobile phones.
02:18 A 17-year-old boy who stood trial alongside the 15-year-old,
02:23 and also who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter.
02:28 However, he was sentenced to 18 months' rehabilitation order today
02:34 after pleading guilty to the charge of being in possession of a knife during the incident.
02:40 During today's sentencing hearing, the court heard about the devastation
02:44 Fred's death caused to his family and friends.
02:48 A victim impact statement from Fred's dad, Rowan, was read to the court.
02:52 In it, he said, "Words cannot describe how I feel and the impact of losing Fred
02:57 has had on not just me, but my family, Fred's friends and the whole town.
03:03 Losing Fred has left me with sleepless nights, anxiety and insufferable pain.
03:08 When Fred was taken, so was my heart.
03:11 My life will never be the same.
03:13 When I wake up in the morning, I forget for a moment and shout 'Fred' for school,
03:18 make two cups of tea and then it all comes crashing down.
03:22 All I have left is memories and photos of his upbringing and fun times.
03:27 Fred was my best friend, my son, and I relied on him to help me with technology.
03:33 He would help all the things online and would also help around the house.
03:37 We were a team who faced everything together.
03:40 I will never get over losing my Fred. We had such a close bond.
03:44 We had so many plans for the future, he didn't even get to sit in GCSEs,
03:49 get married, have children and explore the world.
03:53 Before Fred's passing, he was planning to get an apprenticeship in bricklaying.
03:58 I know Fred would have gone on to do amazing things, but now all those dreams have been shattered.
04:05 Whilst the 15-year-old will be spending the next few years in detention,
04:10 it pales by comparison to the impact Fred's murder has had on Rohan and the whole family.
04:16 Fred had his whole life ahead of him.
04:19 He was about to sit in his GCSEs and we have been looking forward to his future.
04:24 His family have been left devastated by the brutality of his death and his friends traumatised.
04:30 Today concludes the criminal proceedings into the murder of Fred
04:34 and I hope his family and friends will now be able to grieve his loss
04:37 with the comfort that the person who was responsible has been held to account.
04:42 I want to thank them for the support they gave us throughout the investigation
04:46 and the dignity they showed whilst listening to the evidence presented at court.
04:51 Fred was simply walking home from school when he was senselessly attacked and killed.
04:56 There is no possible justification for his death.
04:59 The 15-year-old may not have set out to kill Fred,
05:02 but he and his friend chose to take knives when they left home to confront him.
05:07 The 15-year-old was only 14 at the time.
05:10 14.
05:12 What is going through the minds of our young people when they decide to bring a knife to settle a petty schoolboy dispute?
05:19 They need to wake up and realise that when they do so,
05:22 the chances of someone getting stabbed massively increases
05:26 and the consequences of that are all too apparent.
05:29 My hope is that other young people now realise the very real dangers of carrying a knife.
05:34 If you are carrying a knife, the chances of it being used by you or against you are extremely high.
05:40 Enough is enough and we need a societal change.
05:44 We all have a responsibility to speak to children and young people about the dangers of knives.
05:50 Please take that responsibility seriously.
05:53 And if you are worried about someone who may be carrying a knife, please call 101.
05:57 We can help before another child like Fred is needlessly killed.
06:01 Throughout the trial we heard about the heroic actions of the members of the public who helped Fred after he was stabbed
06:08 and I want to pay tribute to them.
06:10 To those people who stopped to help him and provide medical care
06:14 and to those who followed the boys away from the scene allowing us to make a quick arrest.
06:19 Thank you.
06:20 I also want to pay my tributes to my colleagues and the other emergency services who attended the scene
06:26 and were involved in the immediate response and investigation.
06:29 We sign up to serve and help the public but nothing can prepare you for what they encounter that day.
06:36 And I thank them for doing all they can do to help Fred.
06:40 Finally, I would like to thank my colleagues, Deputy SIO DS Matt Bly, the officer in the case DC Jonathan Hurd
06:47 and the family liaison officer DC Josette Davis and the whole East Midlands Special Operations Unit Major Crime Team
06:54 for their hard work and devotion to this case.
06:57 And also to Fred's family and friends for the support they have given us.
07:01 Thank you.
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