The teenager who bought the knife that killed Yousef Makki in Hale Barns last year can today be named as Adam Chowdhary.
The 18-year-old, known only as ‘Boy B’ during the trial, lost a High Court bid to keep his identity secret until he finishes his education.
He was cleared of perverting the course of justice but convicted of possession of a flick knife and given a four-month detention order.
Chowdhary, known only as ‘Boy B’ during the case so far as he was protected by youth anonymity because he was only 17 at the time of the offence, went on trial alongside Joshua Molnar after the death of their friend, 17-year-old Yousef, in March 2019.
His anonymity expired on his 18th birthday last month but he had launched a High Court bid to keep his identity secret until he finishes his education in November 2021 to enable him to complete his A Levels and “get his life back on track”.
However, in a ruling at the High Court on January 28th, Mrs Justice Steyn said that “the curtailment of the claimant’s and his family’s right to respect for their private and family life is, in my judgment, clearly justified by the compelling public interest in open justice”.
She added: “The most significant aggravating feature was that (Boy B) bought the knife with which Yousef was killed.”
She said that possession of a knife was “a serious offence and there is a strong public interest in knowing the identity of those who commit serious offences”.
Chowdhary’s legal team had said they would launch an appeal, thereby delaying the release of his name further, but failed to produce one.
Mrs Justice Steyn said that the prospect of being named in court was a “powerful deterrent” to others.
She added: “There is an important public interest in understanding the prevalence of knife crime. Such understanding depends, at least in part, on knowing who is committing such crimes.”
Molnar was cleared of murder and manslaughter following the trial at Manchester Crown Court after successfully convincing the jury he had acted in self-defence. He was convicted of the lesser charges of possessing a knife and perverting the course of justice and was sentenced to 16 months, and his identity was revealed in October when he turned 18.
His anonymity automatically expired when he turned 18 in October 2019.
