MURDER TRIAL LATEST: Teenager jailed for murdering his friend and trying to decapitate him

The 15-year-old boy, who can now be named as Marcel Grzeszcz, repeatedly stabbed Roberts Buncis on ground off Alcorn Green in Fishtoft, near Boston, Lincolnshire, on December 12 last year, just two days before his 13th birthday.

The teenager’s trial at Lincoln Crown Court was told he stabbed Roberts “in excess of 70 times”, with a wound to the neck that was “consistent with a decapitation attempt”.

The youth admitted manslaughter midway through his trial but denied murder.

The defendant claimed the victim had taken the knife to the scene and he “lost control” when the youngster attempted to stab him, but jurors dismissed his argument and concluded he was “motivated by anger”.

Sentencing the youth on Monday, Mr Justice Jeremy Baker told him: “When the two of you met up in the wooded area, I’m satisfied while the deceased was unarmed and unaware of what was to take place, you came armed with a large knife and with latex gloves intending at that time, at the very least, to cause him serious bodily harm.”

Giving his ruling on the decision to lift the anonymity order placed on 15-year-old Marcel Grzeszcz, Mr Justice Jeremy Baker said: “I’m satisfied that it is in the interests of justice to dispose of the anonymity order and continuing the order would impose an unreasonable restriction at this stage.”

The judge added that he was satisfied he should rule “in favour of open justice rather than the defendant’s welfare”.

Detective Chief Inspector Richard Myszczyszyn, of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: “This is an utterly tragic case. I would like to pay tribute to the people who loved Roberts, and had to deal with losing him in such brutal and horrific circumstances. Their support for our investigation has been unwavering, and their bravery has been an inspiration. Nothing could bring Roberts back, but our commitment was to try to find some semblance of justice for a grieving family and community.

“The act was utterly senseless and the consequences, devastating. It will be remembered by Officers and Staff as one of the worst and saddest cases we have ever dealt with. The level of violence, and that it involved children, makes it almost incomprehensible.

“The diligence and dedication displayed by the team who responded and investigated was a credit to our Force and hopefully of some reassurance to the community as they continue to come to terms with this distressing and disturbing incident.

“Roberts’s future was stolen and that is an injustice that cannot be undone. We hope today’s sentence might at least offer some closure to those affected.

“It’s a stark and chilling lesson on the potential devastation of knife crime. If you, as a parent or a child, have any concerns about knives, please talk to us. We can all play a part in building a future free of such desperately sad and unnecessary loss of life. We will educate and engage on knife crime and we will continue to relentlessly pursue justice for victims; as we do so, we will remember Roberts.”