Haverhill teen found guilty of murdering Harley Barfield

After a month-long trial and five days of deliberations, the jury found the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, guilty of murdering the 16-year-old boy in the west Suffolk town.

The defendant denied murdering Harley earlier this year but had admitted manslaughter and possessing the knife used to kill him. 

On Thursday, the judge allowed for the jury to return a majority verdict. 

Following a further morning of deliberation, the jury returned a majority verdict of guilty.

Harley Barfield died from his injuries after being stabbed on January 9 this year. (Image: Charlotte Bond, Newsquest)

It has been alleged that the boy armed himself with a kitchen knife and lay in wait for Harley, who was going out with his former girlfriend, before confronting him in a “jealous rage” and trying to goad him into a fight near Strasbourg Square in Haverhill on January 9 this year. 

Harley was airlifted to hospital, where, despite the efforts of doctors, he died two days after the stabbing on January 11 as a result of a fatal wound to his heart. 

Harley, right, was attacked in the west Suffolk town (Image: Suffolk police)

The teenager will be sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on December 19.

Mr Justice Linden spoke directly to the friends and family in the public gallery and said: “I appreciate the last 11 months or so have been very upsetting for all of you.

"The trial itself will also have been very difficult.

"You have conducted yourselves with great dignity and humanity.“

After the verdict, he turned to the jury and said: “Thank you very much for the service you have given in this case.”

He added: “This was a very sad difficult case in which the stakes were very high it has been a privilege to work with you.“