A Sheffield mother says she didn’t believe her 15-year-old son when he warned that students at his school carried knives—just a week before he was fatally stabbed.

A Warning Ignored

Caroline Willgoose said her son, Harvey, had told her he didn’t want to attend All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield, England because “children carry knives.” Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she recalled dismissing his fears as exaggerated.

“We thought it’s so far-fetched,” she said.

Harvey was killed with a 13cm serrated hunting knife during an argument with a friend on school grounds.

Tragic Friendship Turned Fatal

Harvey’s killer, 15-year-old Mohammed Umar Khan, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 16 years after being convicted of murder. The two had once been friends but fell out following an argument on Snapchat that began after a fight between other students.

During the trial, prosecutors said the dispute escalated online, with both boys taking sides and eventually being removed from a group chat. Khan claimed he acted in self-defense, but the judge rejected that argument, ruling the attack was motivated by “hurt and anger” over a perceived betrayal.

Campaign for Change

In the wake of her son’s death, Mrs. Willgoose is campaigning for bleed kits and metal detector arches to be installed in schools nationwide.

Bleed kits, which can stop major blood loss within seconds, were not available at Harvey’s school when he was attacked. Mrs. Willgoose said she hopes no other family has to endure what hers did.

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