A teenage boy appeared in court via a prison video link on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, charged with the murder of a 16-year-old, who was stabbed near a school in Luton.
The boy, who is also 16 and cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of killing Humza Hussain in Stoneygate Road, near Challney High School for Boys, on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 8.
A post mortem was carried out on Thursday, June 10, established that Humza, who lived in Luton, died from stab wounds.
During a six-minute hearing, before Judge Mark Bishop at Luton crown court no plea was entered to charges of murder and possession of a bladed article. The boy appeared from Feltham Young Offenders Institution wearing a blue top.
He confirmed his named and said: “I can hear you clearly” Prosecutor Nigel Ogborne said a date for a plea and trial preparation hearing had been set for July 14th. Attiq Malik, defending, made no application for bail.
Judge Mark Bishop said: “I cannot give you a trial date. It will not be heard at Luton. It will be in another court and will be before a High Court Judge.” He remanded the youth in custody.
A second teenager who was arrested on suspicion of violent disorder has been released on bail.
Humza’s family issued a statement in which they said: “We are extremely saddened and heartbroken at the passing of Humza. He was a young boy with his whole life ahead of him, and this should never have happened.
“He was a much-loved son, grandson and brother and it is a very sad loss for us as a family.”
Hundreds of people attended his funeral last Saturday. A Go Fund Me page in Humza’s name has been set up to raise funds for Sadaqah Jariyah, the Muslim practise of raising money for charity projects when a person dies. It aims to raise £15,000. On Wednesday, June 16 the figure stood at £9,777.
Bedfordshire police asked for people with information about the murder, particularly anyone who recorded dashcam or other camera footage from Stoneygate Road between 3pm and 4pm on Tuesday, to contact them on 101 or via a online reporting centre.
Challney High School said: “We are very saddened to hear of the passing of one of our former students, Humza Hussain. “We pass on our sincere condolences to his family and friends and we hold them in mind at this tragic time.
“Humza was a popular member of the school who had a fantastic personality and a great sense of humour. “Humza especially enjoyed talking about Manchester United, and he was never shy about voicing his opinion on the team’s most recent results.
“We understand that this will be upsetting news for our school community, particularly those who knew Humza, and we are offering support to children and staff members who need it via our own counsellors and external partners.”
The latest statement from the school, which is part of the Chiltern Learning Trust, is in contrast to one issued by the academy the day after the killing in which it stated: “We understand that no school students were involved in the incident.”
