Fraser this is a disturbing case it is yeah it's a case of a young girl being followed attacked and killed by a young man only a year or so older than herself Holly Newton just 15 years old at the time of this attack in Hexum back in January last year she had concerns about the youth who followed her and then eventually took her life uh she had told friends that she thought he was stalking her she told them that she thought he wouldn't leave her alone unless she spoke to him her parents were concerned about him too they told her not to leave school if he was outside the area and visible and to stay in school until it was safe so clearly they had concerns about this young man and CCTV footage clearly shows him following her around town that day in hexom for around 45 minutes or so at some points keeping well back keeping his distance following her from a distance you could see some cases on the CCTV would turn and recognize the young man and carry on walking away from him eventually he did approach her he told the court that he approached her and that she was horrible to him when he spoke to her and it was then that the attack happened uh he says he can't remember the attack uh a psychiatrist who was brought in by the defense team said that that is a possible side effect of post-traumatic stress disorder caused by his difficult upbringing he said that he did have a knife on him a kitchen knife that he taken to town that day but he said his intention was to use that knife to harm himself or even to take his own life not to harm anybody else a young friend of hollly was also injured during the attack the youth was found guilty of wounding with intent he tried to intervene was also stabbed and it was two members of the public who eventually uh subdued the attacker and brought him under control the attack itself particularly vicious 36 injuries to Holly 12 of them stab with wounds 19 of them caused by a slashing motion uh some of those wounds to her hands as she tried to stop the attack other wounds uh to her um uh to her head face back and chest the stab wounds an appalling sew can only imagine how difficult it was and the judge acknowledged how difficult it was for her family to have to relive this during this court case the young man had pleaded guilty to man sort he had admitted killing Holly but he denied murder and the jury took around 14 hours or so uh to decide that this was murder the judge said that her family had been dignified throughout her mother was in tears as she read out an impact statement to the court during that statement she explained how Holly was a beautiful child how when she was little they did everything together that she was a funny and happy teenager that her favorite place was was Alton Towers and that she would do anything to make anyone laugh an animal lover too she said she particularly loved her cat the judge said that the family had shown great dignity and fortitude he could only imagine he said how difficult it was for them to sit through the evidence and to watch the video of this young man stalking uh their daughter before killing her he was found guilty of murder guilty of wounding with intent and he will be sentenced on the 31st of October