Yousef Makki was unlawfully killed in stabbing, second inquest finds

A 17-year-old boy who was stabbed to death by his friend in an upmarket village in Cheshire was unlawfully killed, a second inquest has found.

A coroner originally ruled out unlawful killing and accidental death as reasons for Yousef Makki’s death on 2 March 2019.

Ex-public schoolboy Joshua Molnar said he acted in self-defence when he stabbed Yousef in the heart with a flick knife in Hale Barns near Altrincham.

Molnar was cleared by a jury of murder and manslaughter after a trial at Manchester Crown Court.

He was jailed for 16 months for possession of a knife in a public place and perverting the course of justice by lying to police at the scene.

The Makki family’s campaign for a fresh inquest succeeded in January this year after the High Court quashed the result of the 2021 ruling.

The second inquest at Stockport Coroner’s Court heard of many “discrepancies” in how the stabbing happened.

Molnar told the jury at his trial that the two had had a row and that Yousef had pulled a flick knife out first so he took his out and his friend “came on” to his weapon, causing the fatal injury.

However, in a lengthy ruling, coroner Geraint Williams concluded that Yousef did not have a knife at the time of his death as claimed, and Molnar had not acted in self-defence and did not believe he needed to use a knife to defend himself.

Mr Williams said: “I find as a fact Yousef Makki did not use a knife to threaten or attack Joshua Molnar.

“I also find use of a knife unnecessary, disproportionate and unreasonable. I conclude he did not act in lawful self-defence.

“Therefore, I conclude that Mr Makki was unlawfully killed is fully made out by the evidence.”

Jade Akoum, Yousef’s sister, was hugged by her husband Mazen as the conclusion was delivered.

Their lawyer, Peter Weatherby KC, thanked the coroner, saying it had been “a very long journey” for the family.

While a jury in a criminal trial must be sure beyond reasonable doubt of guilt, at an inquest a coroner can make conclusions based on the lower standard of using a balance of probabilities.

Inquest rules mean coroners are not allowed to apportion blame to named individuals.

Molnar was earlier jailed for 16 months for possession of a knife in a public place and perverting the course of justice by lying to police at the scene.

He has admitted “pretty disgusting” behaviour by lying after the stabbing to protect himself, but maintained he acted in self-defence.

Lisa Judge, representing Molnar, said he had admitted he panicked and lied to police, for which he had been jailed.

But she said any inconsistencies in his account of the stabbing four years ago were a result of trauma and “fracturing memories”.

Another youth, Adam Chowdhary, was with the pair at the time.

He said he did not see what happened because he was on his phone.

Yousef, from Burnage, Manchester, became friends with the pair, both from wealthy Cheshire families, after winning a scholarship to £12,000-a-year Manchester Grammar School.

All three were aged 17 at the time.

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