The UK’s youngest murderers since the killing of James Bulger have had their prison sentences extended after an appeal court ruled their original terms were too lenient.
The two boys, now aged 13, were convicted of murdering 19-year-old Shawn Seesahai in Wolverhampton on 13 November last year. Both were initially handed life sentences with minimum terms of eight-and-a-half years.
However, the solicitor general challenged the sentences as “unduly lenient,” citing the “particularly serious” nature of the case.
Judges at the Court of Appeal have now increased their minimum terms to 10 years. This means the pair will remain in detention until at least their early 20s.
The boys, aged just 12 at the time of the attack, were described during their sentencing as the youngest knife murderers in Britain. CCTV footage captured the duo on the night of the killing, although legal restrictions prevent their identification.
Shawn Seesahai died from multiple injuries inflicted during a brutal attack at Stowlawn playing fields in Wolverhampton’s East Park. He was stabbed through the heart and lungs, and one of the wounds—measuring 23cm—nearly passed through his body. He also sustained a fractured skull.
Although the boys blamed each other for wielding the machete used in the attack, the trial found them jointly responsible. Mrs Justice Tipples, who presided over their original sentencing in September, described the incident as “horrific and shocking.”
The case marks the youngest murder convictions in the UK sinceMr’s killers, aged 11, were convicted in 1993.
During the initial trial, the judge acknowledged the defendants’ young age, lack of emotional maturity, and troubled upbringings.
She noted that the attack was not premeditated and described one of the boys as “extremely vulnerable” and “groomed and exploited” by others.
However, the victim’s parents, Manashwary and Suresh Seesahai, expressed disappointment with the initial sentences, feeling they did not reflect the severity of the crime.
The revised sentences now ensure a longer period of justice for the tragic loss of Shawn Seesahai.
