Youth guilty of murdering 16-year-old in knife attack at New Year’s Eve fireworks

A teenager has been found guilty of fatally stabbing a 16-year-old boy in the neck as high jinks turned to tragedy at a New Year’s Eve fireworks event.

“Lively and boisterous” Harry Pitman had been playfighting before he was attacked by Areece Lloyd-Hall on Primrose Hill, north London, on December 31 2023.

The incident happened in front of a crowd of revellers gathered in the popular park to watch fireworks over the River Thames on December 31 2023.

Lloyd-Hall, now aged 18, pushed forward and lunged at Harry with a pointed dagger, metres from where uniformed police officers were stationed.

In “shocking” mobile phone footage played in court, a knife sheath is seen to fly through the air during the fast-paced incident.

Harry holds his neck, his white T-shirt covered in blood, as he pushes through crowds calling to officers for “help”.

He collapsed and died minutes later, shortly before midnight.

College student Lloyd-Hall, who was 16 at the time, claimed he thought he had only hit Harry with the sheath in an attempt to get Harry away from him.

He said: “I did not want him to lose his life.

“I feel horrible for what I caused. It was not my intention.”

He said he ran off not realising what had happened because he was holding a knife and knew there were police officers nearby.

Jurors were told Lloyd-Hall was suffering from cannabis-induced paranoia and may have suffered post-traumatic stress disorder triggered by witnessing the aftermath of an earlier stabbing and the loss of a friend to knife crime in June 2023.

After a retrial at the Old Bailey, Lloyd-Hall, from Westminster, was found guilty of murder by a majority of 11 to one after a jury deliberated for nearly eight hours.

At a trial in October last year, a jury found Lloyd-Hall guilty of possession of an offensive weapon but failed to agree on other charges, it can now be reported.

There were gasps from Harry’s family sitting in court as Lloyd-Hall was convicted of murder.

The teenager will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on November 10.

Detective Inspector Daniel Catmull, from Scotland Yard, said: “A new year is meant to offer new beginnings and fresh opportunities, but sadly, Harry’s family will now be marking this event by remembering how he was taken from them. Our thoughts today are with them and everyone who knew Harry.

“Once again, we have seen what carrying a knife can do. There is no excuse for anyone to leave home with a weapon, and the Met is doing everything it can to crack down on violence.

“On behalf of Harry’s family, we extend our deepest gratitude to the individuals who witnessed this horrific event but had the resilience to come forward and support the investigation.

“While justice has been served, the tragic loss of such a bright and promising young life, whose vibrant spirit touched so many, is a profound tragedy that will forever be felt by all who knew and loved.”

At his retrial, prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward KC had described how “revelry turned to tragedy in the blink of an eye” on New Year’s Eve 2023.

Harry and Lloyd-Hall were strangers to each other and had gone to watch the fireworks with difference groups of friends.

Earlier in the evening special constable David Smith said Harry seemed excitable and had “physically bounced” up to him to engage in friendly chat.

He went on to “fist bump” another man who had gone to watch the fireworks with his family.

The fatal incident appeared to have been sparked by a scuffle between Harry and one of the defendant’s friends shortly after 11.30pm.

Playfighting, Harry lost his balance while seeing how high he could kick and bumped into the boy standing behind.

In return, Harry was shoved and slapped on the back of the head, causing him to say: “Don’t touch me, because I didn’t touch you.”

Lloyd-Hall pushed his way towards Harry, holding his trousers and saying: “Wot wot wot wot wot.”

In mobile phone footage, a girl warns “mindi”, the Somalian word for knife, as the defendant produces a blade from his waistband.

Harry can be seen swinging a punch before Lloyd-Hall swings the knife upwards in an arc and down on to Harry’s neck.

Police body-worn camera footage shows Harry moving through the crowd seeking help before he collapsed.

The defendant made off, discarding the knife, his clothes and mobile phone.

The knife scabbard was left at the scene and was found to have the defendant’s DNA on it.

After a media appeal, Lloyd-Hall went to Hammersmith police station with his father on January 4 2024.

The court was told the defendant had no previous convictions and had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.