Boys, 12, searched online for news articles about machete murder, court told

Floral tributes left at the scene at playing fields in Wolverhampton where Shawn Seesahai died (Matthew Cooper/PA)

Two 12-year-old boys accused of murdering a man with a machete had screenshots of knives on their phones and searched online for news articles about the attack, a court has heard.

The defendants, who cannot be named due to their age, are on trial at Nottingham Crown Court after denying murder and blaming each other for the death of Shawn Seesahai, 19, in Wolverhampton on November 13 last year.

Jurors were told that one boy’s phone showed he had searched for news articles about the murder the day after it happened and had screenshots of knives like the one used in the attack.

Shawn Seesahai death — Shawn Seesahai (West Midlands Police/PA)

The other boy had articles about the attack on his phone as well as pictures of knives, prosecution KC Michelle Heeley said.

The court was told one of the boys searched online for “how many criminal records can you have to leave the country” on November 14, a day after the attack.

Mr Seesahai was stabbed through his body and into his heart with the machete, hit on the skull so that part of his bone came away, and was found with slash wounds on his leg.

The court heard he was “left dying at the scene” while the two boys fled.

By the time that Mr Seesahai’s friend had escaped to get help, the 19-year-old had allegedly been “stabbed, kicked and beaten” on playing fields near Laburnum Road, in the East Park area.

The defendants are said to have been at the park with two girls of a similar age at 8.15pm and had left the park after the alleged murder by 8.25pm.

Ms Heeley said: “Shawn’s friend was running for help and by that time Shawn had been stabbed, kicked and beaten.

“He was left dying at the scene as these two boys ran away, taking the murder weapon with them.

“The Crown’s case is that these two boys jointly, together, attacked Shawn Seesahai, that they used the machete to hit him more than once, and also kicked and stamped on him and that in doing so they either meant to kill him or at the very least cause him really serious harm.

“We say they are both guilty of murder.”

One of the youths denies possessing the machete used to kill Mr Seesahai, while the other defendant has admitted the same charge.

The trial continues.