Teenager who posted video of stabbed victim to Snapchat found guilty of manslaughter

A teenager who posted a video of his victim to Snapchat after stabbing him has been found guilty of manslaughter.

The 17-year-old from Luton, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was convicted of killing Ghulam Raja, 63, following an argument at an address in the town.

On November 15, 2021, the boy, who was 16 at the time, stabbed Mr Raja, from Bolton, four times in the head and leg. The victim was taken to hospital but died of his injuries five days later.

In the immediate aftermath of the stabbing the boy posted a video of a wounded Mr Raja to his own Snapchat account, where he could be heard in the background shouting at the stricken victim.

One minute after uploading the video he then phoned police, explaining to the operator that there had been a murder, and stating ‘I am the offender’.

Officers arrived at the scene at 4.15pm, and the boy was taken into police custody.

An investigation was subsequently launched by the Bedfordshire Police Crime Investigation Department, before being passed to the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit.

The teenager, who knew the victim, was initially charged with attempted murder, although this was amended following Mr Raja’s death.

During the trial, the boy denied murdering Mr Raja, but admitted stabbing him. He claimed he was defending himself and another person and that he had no intention to cause serious harm or kill him.

Following a three-week trial at Luton Crown Court, the boy was found guilty of manslaughter. He is due to be sentenced at the same court on December 12.

Detective Inspector Richard Stott, who led the investigation, said: “This is a tragic case which not only resulted in the sad death of the victim, but also means a young man will likely spend time behind bars.

“There is no excuse for a violent attack such as this, and this case highlights how severe the consequences can be for those who resort to using a knife to hurt someone, regardless of the circumstances.”

Last week Bedfordshire Police urged people to ‘bin their blade’ during last week’s Operation Sceptre national week of action to tackle knife crime.