Teenage killer pictured holding knife during family holiday months before stabbing boy

A teenage killer was photographed holding a knife during a family holiday in Iran months before stabbing another boy in the heart as he walked home from school.

Bardia Shojaeifard, 15, was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 13 years for the murder of Alfie Lewis last November.

Alfie, 15, was stabbed to death in a “senseless” attack “in plain sight” on pupils leaving a primary school in the Horsforth area of ​​Leeds.

Leeds Crown Court heard Shojaeifard had a “disturbing interest in knives” and police found several photos on his phone of him holding them, including one where a blade had been photoshopped into his hand.

One image showed the defendant holding a knife and wearing a scarf around his face.

During the trial, jurors heard that the photo was taken while he was visiting relatives last summer, and Shojaeifard's father said the knife was a “model.”

He told jurors that Shojaieifard's uncle made knives and that they had talked to the children about their cultural heritage, but prosecutors said that showed the defendant had “more than a passing interest in knives.”

Another photo shows Shojaeifard posing with a black-handled knife that had been photoshopped into his hand.

Judge Cotter said the accused was “objectively an ordinary 14-year-old from a loving and supportive family who undertook entirely appropriate activities when not at school”.

“He has no ties to gangs or even negative peer pressure, drug involvement or mental health issues,” the judge said.

“However, he had a disturbing interest in knives, as revealed by photographs on his phone, including photoshopped knives in his hand.”

The court heard that on the day of the murder, Shojaeifard took a 13cm-long kitchen knife home from school and carried it in his pants all day before attacking Alfie on the way home.

The court heard that since Alfie's murder, Shojaeifard's parents have had to leave their home after receiving threats.

Nicholas Lumley, defending, said he was “the son of thoroughly decent, supportive and loving parents” who “thrived in this adopted country”.