Obsessed teen who stalked girl, 15, for nearly an hour before knifing her ‘many, many times’ in alley GUILTY of murder
A TEEN who stalked a schoolgirl for nearly an hour before knifing her "many, many times" in an alley has been found guilty of murder.
Holly Newton, 15, sent a chilling message to a pal about the obsessed 16-year-old hours before he ambushed her.
She wrote: "Apparently (the boy) is gonna meet to me outside of school.
"So he's basically stalking me at this point.
"He's gonna follow me until I talk to him".
The teen, who cannot legally be named, has now been found guilty of murder following a trial.
Newcastle Crown Court heard Holly's mum had grown so concerned by the boy that she contacted police.
Officers then agreed Holly should not leave school if he was outside.
On January 27 last year, the teen followed Holly for 45 minutes around Hexham, Northumberland making sure he was "careful not to be seen".
The schoolgirl then agreed to speak to him but he lured her down an alleyway and stabbed her "many, many times".
Staff at a nearby pizza restaurant heard Holly screaming and rushed out to find him attacking her with a kitchen knife he brought from home.
They managed to "forcibly" remove the teen, who claimed Holly had been "horrible" or "awful" to him.
He then added: "Oh what have I done?"
Holly was taken to hospital after suffering 36 injuries - including 12 stab wounds and 19 slash injuries - in less than a minute.
Tragically she couldn't be saved and was declared dead shortly after the horror.
When he was arrested, the boy - now aged 17 - told police: "I was meant to kill myself but it went too far."
The boy previously admitted manslaughter but denied murder on the basis his mind "went blank" during the attack.
He also pleaded not guilty to wounding with intent and an alternative charge of wounding after one of Holly's male friends was injured while trying to help her.
Holly's tearful mum pays tribute following verdict
Holly's mum Micala Trussler read a heartfelt statement about her daughter to the packed courtroom following the verdict.
Fighting back tears, she said: "Holly was a beatiful child. She was my firstborn, a clingly child who never left my side.
"She grew into a funny and happy teenager who would do anything for anyone."
Mrs Trussler said there was nothing Holly couldn't do and she would try any sports, just to have a go.
She added: "She fell in love with dancing, it gave her an opportunity to express herself and helped her self confidence enormously, it genuinely made her feel fearless."
Mrs Trussler said Holly was a quiet student who "just got on with her work" and she never received a bad report from her teachers.
The grieving mum said her daughter would "do anything to make people smile" and had a love of animals, especially her pet cat, who would wait outside her bedroom door for her and still does to this day.
Mrs Trussler added: "However, Holly isn't there to open the door."
During his evidence, he claimed was not an entirely bad person as he "helps baby birds and stuff".
The boy also told jurors he could not remember stabbing Holly but did recall getting a bus to Hexham that day.
Nigel Edwards KC, defending, asked: "The night that Holly died, when you go to Hexham, what is it you want to do?"
The boy replied: "It wasn't for going there to hurt her or kill her, it wasn't for that."
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Asked what he had wanted to do that day, he said: "To try and take my own life."
The teen was remanded into custody to be sentenced at a later date.
