A new documentary is to take a fresh look at the killing of Yousef Makki, the 17-year-old stabbed to death in Hale Barns in 2019.
Journalist Amber Haque has returned to her hometown of Manchester for the BBC documentary Hometown: A Teenage Killing, which broadcasts on BBC Three on Sunday 9th and 16th October. The full box-set is available now on BBC iPlayer.
Haque attempts to dig into what happened after Yousef’s death by revisiting the police investigation, as well as the rumours that were swirling around the community at the time.
She uncovers a growing trend of middle-class kids carrying knives and discovers that many believe Yousef’s tragic death was not a “one-off”.
Haque: “Reporting on this story has been a really personal journey, full of twists and turns.
“I never expected to meet middle-class kids carrying knives and to hear that many believe Yousef’s tragic stabbing was not a “one-off” in the wealthy suburbs I grew up in.
“What happened to Yousef Makki in Hale Barns started a conversation that we needed to have in my hometown. About class, race, justice and what happens when you reverse the stereotypes of knives and gang culture.
“I’ve seen first-hand reporting on this series, that what you wear, how you talk, what music you listen to – is seen as “silly fantasy” in one part of town, but evidence of criminality in another.”
Joshua Molnar, from Hale, stabbed Yousef with a knife during a row on Gorse Bank Road in March 2019.
Molnar was subsequently cleared of manslaughter and murder following a trial at Manchester Crown Court and was released 215 days into a 16-month sentence at a Young Offenders’ Institute after admitting the lesser charges of perverting the course of justice and possessing a flick knife.
A coroner’s inquest later found that Yousef’s death was not an “unlawful killing” and recorded a narrative conclusion.
A separate documentary about the case, Killed By A Rich Kid, was broadcast on Channel 4 in March.
Hometown: A Teenage Killing broadcasts on BBC Three this Sunday, October 9th, and Sunday October 16th. The full box-set is available now on BBC iPlayer.
