A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 23 years for the murder of a 16-year-old Syrian refugee in Huddersfield. Alfie Franco, 20, stabbed Ahmad Al Ibrahim after the teenager brushed past his girlfriend in the town centre in April.
Leeds Crown Court heard that Franco, who had consumed a cocktail of drugs including cannabis, cocaine, and ketamine, took exception to Ahmad innocently walking past his girlfriend. CCTV footage showed Franco calling Ahmad over before opening a flick knife and stabbing him in the neck.
Ahmad had fled war-torn Homs in Syria after being injured in a bombing and had only been living in Huddersfield for a few weeks. He aspired to become a doctor and had travelled for three months to reach the UK, stopping at a refugee centre in Swansea before arriving in West Yorkshire.
In a statement read to the court, Ahmad's family described the devastating impact of his death. His father suffered a heart attack upon hearing the news, requiring surgery. His uncle Ghazwan Al Ibrahim expressed guilt that he could not keep Ahmad safe, saying the teenager had believed Britain to be 'the land of peace and the fulfilment of dreams'.
Judge Howard Crowson described Franco's claim that he saw a weapon on Ahmad as 'a lie', noting that Franco had identified Ahmad as a target and lured him to his death. Franco was found guilty of murder after a jury deliberated for just over three hours and also pleaded guilty to possessing a knife in a public place.
