The eldest brother of murdered Harrogate boy Seb Mitchell has urged young people to “think again” about carrying knives after the killer was sentenced today.
Dylan Cranfield, 17, plunged an eight-inch kitchen knife through Seb’s heart, causing a fatal loss of blood and cardiac arrest after an argument at a house party.
He received a life sentence at Leeds Crown Court today – but will be eligible for parole in a little over 10 years.
Seb’s family read out heart-rending victim-impact statements expressing their devastation at the loss of a “beautiful, kind soul” and their wish to see Cranfield jailed for “many years”, the Harrogate killer.
Jack Mitchell, Seb’s eldest brother, also warned other young people to “think again” about carrying knives. He said:
“No amount of justice will ever compensate for the loss of Seb.
“He was an utterly beautiful soul who filled all of our lives with laughter and treated everyone he met with love and kindness. The chasm in our lives from his loss will never be filled.
“I urge anybody listening to this that carries a knife or thinks it is acceptable to pick up a knife in anger to think again.
“All it takes is one knife. One moment. One stab. And suddenly you are a killer.
“Your life is over and you have destroyed so many lives.”
‘Every day is felt with sadness, tears and heartache’
Seb’s mother Sonya Mitchell said Cranfield had committed “the ultimate betrayal” by killing his friend, which had destroyed her family’s life.
She added:
“Seb was my baby, the youngest of our five boys. Seb was one of the good guys, the best. He loved his life.
“The day that Seb died was the day our lives and many other lives in the Harrogate community and beyond changed forever.”
“We received the devastating news that although the knife wound had been repaired in his heart, it was not enough to save his life. It was the day our family of seven were shattered and broken into a family of six.”
Seb Mitchell. Picture: Sam Mitchell.
She said her family were enduring a “life sentence of pain and misery that will never, ever leave us”, adding:
“Seb was a beautiful soul, a courteous, bright, funny, popular, talented and supportive son, brother, grandson, friend and cousin loved by so many people,” she added.
“It’s impossible to comprehend the needless, senseless and violent way such a wonderful young man died. He was ripped away from us all forever, leaving a Seb-shaped hole in our hearts.
“Since the dreadful incident in February, every day is felt with sadness, tears and a heartache (from) losing Seb in such a ruthless and barbaric way. He had such a bright future ahead of him.”
Ms Mitchell, who has been on high levels of medication since her son was murdered, added:
“Whatever sentence is given to Seb’s murderer will never be enough. Seb will still be dead.
“I will still be dreading going to bed every night and dreading waking up the following morning to the awful realisation that I will never, ever see my beautiful, happy, smiling boy again, never hear his laugh, never see him evolve from the loving, kind teenage boy into the brilliant young man we all know he would have been.”
Grandmother’s tribute to ‘dearly loved’ Seb
Seb’s grandmother Lynette Fellows said:
“It’s impossible for me to quantify the abject misery, pain and distress this has had on us all. The loss of a dearly loved child (and) grandchild in the most brutal and senseless of ways has caused a grief so profound no-one can imagine.
“Seb had so many friends and talents with so much to give in the future. He had such a zest for life. Sadly, this future has been cut short in the most cruel and senseless way.”
She said her beloved grandson was kind to people and animals alike and “those blue eyes…always sparkled with love and a sense of fun”.
Murder after row over mirror
The incident, which was witnessed by three other teenagers, occurred at Cranfield’s house on Claro Road, Harrogate, where the two boys became embroiled in a blazing row.
Seb, who was just a week away from his 18th birthday, died two days after being stabbed in the chest by his friend who was “heavily intoxicated”, said prosecutor Peter Moulson KC.
Dylan Cranfield
Cranfield, of Claro Road, was found guilty of murder following a nine-day trial in August after the jury decided he had used the knife with intent to cause grievous harm.
Judge Guy Kearl KC, the Recorder of Leeds, lifted reporting restrictions allowing the press to name Cranfield who had previously remained anonymous due to his age.
The jury heard how the incident was triggered by a smashed mirror after Harrogate Grammar School student Seb had pushed Cranfield into a door during an argument. Within seconds, the two boys were squaring up to each other, shouting and swearing, whereupon Cranfield grabbed a large knife from the kitchen block and pointed it towards Seb’s stomach.
“A minute or two” since the initial argument, Seb was laid out on a sofa with a chest wound and gasping for breath, his face going white.
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Three teenagers who witnessed the incident in the early hours of February 19 went to Seb’s aid and called police and an ambulance as he lay barely conscious on the settee.
Mr Moulson said that when police arrived, Seb was unresponsive and falling deeper into unconsciousness.
He was taken to Harrogate District Hospital by ambulance, but his condition was so critical he was transferred to Leeds General Infirmary where he underwent emergency surgery and was placed in a medically induced coma, but despite the best efforts of doctors he was certified dead two days later, having suffered “catastrophic” brain damage due to fatal blood loss which led to a lack of oxygen reaching the brain.
‘I’m going to wet you up’
Police launched a murder investigation and spoke to two girls and a teenage boy who were at the house that night where drinks had been consumed.
The three teenagers had tried to separate the two boys and calm Cranfield down, but he pushed one of the girls away before grabbing the knife and “pointing it at Seb”.
She said that Cranfield seemed “fixated with (Seb)” and told him: “I’m going to wet you up.”
The expression “wet you up” is London slang for a stabbing.
She said she heard Cranfield repeatedly tell Seb: “I’m gonna kill you.”
Cranfield told Seb:
“If you don’t pay me (for the smashed glass) I will kill you. Like, I will…stab you up and wet you up.”
The girl saw Seb and Cranfield “on the (kitchen) floor, with glass smashed around them”.
They ended up “face to face” as Cranfield pointed the knife towards Seb’s stomach. She tried to grab the knife from Cranfield, but he told her: “Don’t touch my fxxxxxx knife.”
Police at the scene on Claro Road.
The two boys were still shouting at each other as the fight spilled over into the living room, but then Seb fell silent and was laid out, grasping his chest which was oozing blood.
The girl called 999 and was told by Cranfield to tell the ambulance operator that Seb had fallen onto the knife on the floor and that it was an accident. The two other teenage witnesses went along with this because they thought Cranfield “could kill them” too.
‘This wasn’t meant to happen’
When police and an ambulance crew arrived just after midnight, Cranfield told them:
“It was me. I was scared. Really sorry. This wasn’t meant to happen.”
The court heard that earlier in the evening, Seb, Cranfield and others had been drinking vodka. They carried on drinking at Seb’s grandparents’ house while they were away for the weekend.
Mr Moulson said that following Cranfield’s arrest, police also found a lock knife at the scene which was not used or produced during the incident, but he was charged with a separate offence of possessing a blade.
Seb, a black belt in karate who also played football, was put on life support following the stabbing but died later surrounded by his family.
Mohammed Nawaz KC, for Cranfield, said there was “no doubt” that drink had played a part in his client’s behaviour on the fateful night.
He said that while there was “love and guidance” in Cranfield’s childhood, a “degree of instability” had informed his early life and “that may have impacted on his…life choices that led him to the position that he is in”.
Judge Kearl KC said that Cranfield’s alcohol-fuelled, “spontaneous” act of violence had caused a lifetime of trauma for Seb’s family.
He imposed a life sentence on Cranfield with a minimum term of 11 years, which the teenager must serve behind bars before becoming eligible for parole, less the nine months he had already spent on remand.
