Jealous teen who knifed love rival, 16, to death in ‘vicious’ ambush as he walked to shop to buy sweets is jailed
A JEALOUS teen who knifed his love rival to death as he walked to the shop to buy sweets has been jailed for life.
The 16-year-old, who can’t be named, was furious after Harley Barfield began dating his ex-girlfriend.
He grabbed a kitchen knife and lay in wait for the 16-year-old, who was walking to a shop to buy snacks for his mates.
The teen killer then stabbed him up to 12 times in the head, shoulder and chest – including a fatal wound that pierced Harley’s heart.
He then calmly walked away as the tragic teen lay stricken on the ground in Haverhill, Suffolk.
The teen has now been jailed for life with a minimum of 17 years after he was convicted of murder.
In a moving victim impact statement, Harley’s mother Bernice Jaggard said: “I miss him so much. My heart is shattered.
“The physical pain is indescribable. My heart is so heavy. My brain is is in a constant state of emotion.”
Bernice said her dad died from cardiac arrest before Harley’s funeral in a double tragedy.
She also told how she was unable to hold Harley’s hand while he was on life support as she revealed her torment at the killing.
Bernice added: “”I suffer with nightmares, and I have not had a full night’s sleep since January. I have flashbacks and silence can trigger panic attacks.
“Every night I close my eyes and I see Harley on life support and relive it all over again. I will never be the same again. I don’t know who I am any more. I feel totally lost and scared.
“Harley’s last words were a call for me. It was my job as his mum to protect him, but I couldn’t do that.”
Ipswich Crown Court heard he and his ex had been in an “intensive relationship”.
After the fling ended, the boy began bombarding her messages and calls and threatened to take his own life if she did not get back with.
In December last year, he called the girl 271 times and sent her 150 messages.
One read: “I am always going to be obsessed with you.”
The teen also became “intensely jealous” of her friendship with Harley and started making web searches on how to stab someone without being knifed back.
On January 9, he rushed home from school and changed into tracksuit bottoms and hoody before grabbing the knife.
The teen then “waited to intercept” Harley, who attempted to run away as soon as he saw the blade.
Harley was then stabbed multiple times in the car park and died two days later in hospital.
His killer initially claimed his love rival had attacked him with the knife, which he picked up and used in “reasonable self defence”.
But police recovered the weapon from where he had dumped it near a bridge and found it was from a matching set at his home.
Sentencing, Mr Justice Kinsey said: “Your plan to kill Harley was a crude one and was pre-mediated.
“You acted out of anger and a desire for revenge. You had plenty of time to walk away, but you provoked the fight.
“The true position is that you decided in advance that you would intercept him and stab him.
“You provoked Harley and then attacked him with the knife. You have committed a very serious crime and it is right that you will pay a heavy price for it.”