Older Northampton teenager found not guilty of manslaughter in Fred Shand trial

The jury have reached a not guilty verdict for the older defendant’s manslaughter charge, after he has stood trial for more than three weeks following the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Fred Shand.

Earlier today (Friday, August 4), the 12 jurors told Northampton Crown Court they unanimously agreed the 17-year-old was not guilty of murder.

They continued their deliberations on the defendant’s manslaughter charge this afternoon and have now found that he is not guilty of manslaughter, as well.

His 15-year-old co-defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of his murder charge earlier on in the day (Friday, August 4).

The two teenage co-defendants, who were aged 14 and 16 at the time, pleaded not guilty to their murder charge before Northampton Crown Court on April 24.

Alternative counts of manslaughter were added for both defendants at the end of the third week of the trial. The 15-year-old denied murder but admitted manslaughter, and the 17-year-old denied both charges.

It was for the jury to consider these charges, as well as determine if the 17-year-old defendant made his ‘withdrawal from joint enterprise’ clear to the younger defendant.

16-year-old Rohan Shand, known as Fred, died after being stabbed near the Cock Hotel in Harborough Road at about 3.35pm on March 22 while on his way home from Kingsthorpe College.

The co-defendants’ trial was opened on July 12 by prosecuting barrister Miss Jane Bickerstaff KC, after the members of the jury were sworn in two days earlier.

The court heard both defendants faced an additional charge of carrying an article with a blade or sharp point in a public place, namely Harborough Road, on the day of the incident.

The 15-year-old defendant pleaded guilty to this count from the outset, and the 17-year-old defendant later pleaded guilty to the charge after it was added for him too.

The stabbing followed two altercations, the court heard. One in Taco Bell in Walter Tull Way on March 20 and one outside McDonald’s in the Drapery the day before the fatal stabbing (March 21).

During the McDonald’s incident, a male had his “face sliced with a belt buckle” and the two defendants were a friend of his. The co-defendants believed Fred Shand was at the forefront of the group responsible.

The court heard that after the co-defendants arrived at Kingsthorpe College later than intended after formulating a plan for March 22, they rode on scooter towards the town centre via Harborough Road.

The entire incident was over in seven seconds after Fred, his teen friend and the two co-defendants came together for the first time at 3.34pm on March 22 on the green in Harborough Road.

The co-defendants fled the scene on foot to the home of the 17-year-old, where they were detained by police shortly after – along with the murder weapon, a second knife and clothing worn during the incident.

Since July 12 at Northampton Crown Court, the jury has heard the prosecution’s case and evidence, as well as the 15-year-old defendant and the father of the 17-year-old defendant take to the stand. This came after the court heard the older defendant would not be giving evidence.