Teen 'hacked to death' by boys on laughing gas

A teenager was “hacked to death” by two attackers under the influence of nitrous oxide, a court has heard.

Harley Brown, 17, was killed after a chance meeting with two other teens he knew outside a 24-hour shop in Huddersfield.

They were sentenced to life on Monday after pleading guilty to murder.

The elder boy, now 17, was given a minimum term of 14 and a half years behind bars, while the younger one, now 15, got at least 10 years and three months.

Both said they had been under the influence of nitrous oxide – known as laughing gas – on the night of the attack, the court heard.

The killers can’t currently be named because they’re under 18.

Harley’s mother left the court, upset at the younger boy’s sentence, and the family cried while footage played of Harley injured and trying to flag down cars.

The murder in the West Yorkshire town happened in the early hours of 20 February this year.

Harley, 17, had moved from London in 2020 for a safer life, the court heard, after his mother became worried he was being groomed.

Injured Harley tried to get help

On the day of the attack, he and a female friend had met up and encountered his killers outside a shop on Wakefield Road.

The court heard he looked “panicked”, with one apparently saying to him: “Wagwan young dripper” – Harley’s nickname was Dripzz.

CCTV showed him running away and being pursued, with the elder boy pulling a large knife from his trousers.

Harley fell to the floor after being hit by the 15-year-old – who could be seen using another knife on him.

He got up and hit him, but the elder teen joined in and they inflicted “heavy and numerous” blows to his body, legs and head, Leeds Crown Court heard.

Harley managed to stagger to his feet when they left.

CCTV showed him discarding a knife of his own – later found to have the younger defendant’s blood on it.

Bleeding heavily, he tried to get help from a car but it reversed away.

Victim’s throat had been cut

Harley was eventually taken to hospital and had emergency surgery but died the same day.

A post-mortem found he suffered 24 injuries and that his throat had been cut.

A stab wound to the front of his neck was ruled as the cause of death, and a 25cm machete-style knife was found by a member of the public.

Prosecutors said the attack was likely motivated by gang rivalry, but the judge said there was no evidence of this.

The 15-year-old killer claimed he had no grudge against Harley but “decided to challenge him on behalf of others who believed he owed them money”.

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Harley had ‘kind heart’

In an impact statement, Harley’s mother said he was a clever boy who loved books, particularly about animals and insects.

Harley started having trouble when he went to secondary school, the court heard, so his mum moved from Deptford.

“We moved to Huddersfield to start a new life. I gave up everything to make sure Harley was safe,” said Janet Brown.

“He tried to pick people up when they were down. He had a kind heart.”

Harley’s mother added she felt “physically sick” living just around the corner from where her son was murdered.

“There is no good reason for carrying a knife in public. It is a lie that carrying a knife makes young men safe,” said judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb.

“It isn’t big, it isn’t tough, it is a path to despair and destruction,” she added.

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