In a shocking turn of events, a second inquest has concluded that the 2019 stabbing death of schoolboy Yousef Makki was indeed an unlawful killing, overturning the original inquest’s findings. Joshua Molnar, the friend accused of the stabbing, had previously been cleared of murder and manslaughter charges, claiming self-defence during the trial.

Yousef Makki lost his life on March 2, 2019, after being stabbed in the heart by Joshua Molnar in Hale Barns near Altrincham. The initial inquest in November 2021 ruled out both unlawful killing and accidental death, citing insufficient evidence to determine what happened.

However, Yousef’s family, hailing from Burnage in Manchester, challenged this decision in a judicial review in 2022, emphasising the lack of evidence regarding the unlawfulness of the killing. The High Court subsequently ordered a second inquest, which led to a dramatic shift in the case.

Coroner Geraint Williams, delivering the findings at Stockport Coroner’s Court, stated that Molnar was not acting in lawful self-defence, asserting that the act amounted to manslaughter. Williams concluded that Yousef did not have a knife at the time of his death, discrediting Molnar’s self-defence claim.

The emotional scenes unfolded in court as the conclusion was delivered, with Yousef’s sister Jade breaking down in tears. Lawyers for the family expressed the lengthy and challenging journey they’ve endured, acknowledging that nothing could bring Yousef back.

The Crown Prosecution Service and Greater Manchester Police are expected to reevaluate the evidence in light of the new conclusion of unlawful killing. The second inquest exposed discrepancies in Molnar’s account of the stabbing, and another youth present, Adam Chowdhary, revealed he did not witness the incident.

The trial had previously portrayed Molnar and Chowdhary as affluent youths from Cheshire families, engaging in risky behavior, including carrying flick knives. Molnar, now 22, was jailed for carrying a knife in public and perverting the course of justice. Chowdhary, now 21, was found not guilty of perverting the course of justice but received a four-month detention order for carrying a knife in public.