Mother cries 'I love you' as son led from dock (From Enfield Independent)

Mother cries 'I love you' as son led from dock

6:27pm Wednesday 13th June 2012 in News By Hermione Wright

Steven Grisales

The mother of a 15-year-old boy sentenced today to a minimum of ten-and-a-half years for the murder of student Steven Grisales cried “I love you” as he was led from the dock.

The boy, who is from Enfield but cannot be named for legal reasons, held his hands in the air as he was led from the Old Bailey court room but remained expressionless.

He will serve his time for killing architecture student Steven Grisales in Silver Street, Edmonton, on August 31 last year.

The boy, who was with a group of friends, became involved in a confrontation with Steven after they threw conkers at the 21-year-old.

The boy then stabbed Steven, who died of a single stab wound to the heart.

The judge accepted the complexity of the case, and said it was significant that the jury could not be certain that the boy carried the knife to Silver Street in Edmonton where the student lost his life.

His defence lawyer explained that a number of other youths could have been responsible for bringing the kitchen knife to the scene before handing it to the boy to deliver the fatal blow.

His mother and a group of friends gathered outside the court wearing t-shirts declaring the boy’s innocence.

His mother, who wished to remain anonymous until after the appeal has been lodged, said: “This is an injustice. This is outrageous and we are determined to fight it.”

The family are due to lodge an appeal by tomorrow, and are committed to clearing the boy’s name.

A friend, who shouted passionately outside the court, said: “Rest in peace Steven, my heart is with you, but we want justice.”

However, the sentence was decided after a five-week trial at the Old Bailey.

The judge said: “No sentence that I pass can bring him back or be regarded as sufficient punishment to this family for what you did.”

He addressed the boy, and said after he stabbed Mr Grisales, he ran away “totally indifferent to the fate that he had suffered".

The judge added: “You have continued to deny the offence, seeking to blame a friend of yours for what happened, and so have shown no regret or remorse whatsoever for what the jury found you did.”

However, he did accept that the boy killed the student with one single spontaneous blow with a knife.

He said the 15-year-old had no intention to kill, but did have an intention to seriously injure the student.

He also stated that the attack was not premeditated, and took into account the young age of the defendant.

The defence lawyer, who stressed the fact that the jury could not be certain the boy carried a knife, said: “This young man is not wicked, he is foolish, he is headstrong and he is violent and he has done a great wrong.”