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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Pat Hurst

Key events leading up to coroner’s findings in Yousef Makki case

PA Media

Grammar school student Yousef Makki, 17, who was stabbed in the heart with a flick knife, was unlawfully killed, a coroner has concluded.

Here is a timeline of key events leading up to Wednesday’s second inquest:

2019:

– March 2: Yousef Makki, 17, is stabbed to death in Hale Barns, Cheshire. Joshua Molnar and Adam Chowdhary, both 17, are arrested.

– March 5: Molnar is charged with murder and Chowdhary with possession of a knife.

– March 7: Molnar is granted bail at a hearing with press and public excluded.

– June 18: Molnar and Chowdhary go on trial at Manchester Crown Court.

– July 12: Molnar is cleared by the jury of the murder and manslaughter of Yousef. Chowdhary is cleared of perverting the course of justice and conspiracy to rob.

– July 25: Molnar is sentenced to 16 months in custody for perverting the course of justice and possession of a knife. Chowdhary was given four months’ detention for possession of a knife.

2020:

– February 11: Chowdhary, until now not identified publicly and known only as boy B, loses a bid in the High Court to keep his identity secret.

2021:

– November 17: Coroner Alison Mutch rules she could not be sure of the exact circumstances in which Yousef died, but rules out both unlawful killing and accidental death after a seven-day inquest hearing.

2022:

– May 18: Yousef’s family go to the High Court and secure a judicial review into the inquest’s findings.

2023:

– January 20: Lady Justice Macur and Mr Justice Fordham at the judicial review at the High Court in Manchester quash the inquest findings and order a fresh inquest with a different coroner.

– October 25: Coroner Geraint Williams rules after a second inquest hearing that Yousef was unlawfully killed.

The coroner finds Mr Makki did not use a knife to threaten or attack Molnar and that the use of the knife was “unnecessary, disproportionate and unreasonable”.

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