Machete murder of Anguilla's Shawn Seesahai leaves island in mourning

Two boys, aged 12 at the time, stabbed 19-year-old Shawn Seesahai to death in Wolverhampton. His family and the island of Anguilla are struggling to come to terms with the killing.

An island grieving: Anguilla mourns Shawn Seesahai, killed by two 12-year-olds in Wolverhampton

Two boys, both aged 12 at the time of the attack, have been sentenced for the machete murder of 19-year-old Shawn Seesahai at Stowlawn playing fields in Wolverhampton last November. As bbc.com reports, the verdict has left the small British overseas territory of Anguilla in deep mourning.

Shawn had travelled to the UK from Anguilla for medical follow-up care after surgery in the United States for a detached retina — an injury he sustained playing basketball. He had been in England for just six months when the fatal encounter took place. It is believed a trivial shoulder barge triggered the attack.

He was repeatedly stabbed. One wound measured 23 centimetres deep and penetrated his heart. He was left to die on the playing fields.

"They killed my son like they kill a dog"

The two perpetrators, who cannot be named because of their ages, were convicted at Nottingham Crown Court. Their age at the time of the killing makes them the youngest people to be convicted of murder in the UK since Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were detained for the killing of James Bulger, more than 30 years ago.

"They killed my son like they kill a dog," Shawn's father Suresh told the BBC. "It's brutal. They stab him through and through. They kick him. They cuff him. He was helpless."

News of the murder reached Anguilla within hours. A friend who had been with Shawn that night called his parents as police arrived at the scene. His mother Maneshwary answered. "I just dropped," she said. "I don't know what happened after."

The Valley in shock

Shawn grew up in The Valley, Anguilla's capital, home to around 4,000 people. He was well known there — a regular at the local basketball courts, described by his coaches as the "jokester" on the team. At the court where he used to play, his coach Pamela Riley said the community was still reeling.

"There's so many victims and so many people hurting. We have an island hurting," Riley said. "Everybody in The Valley, all the youths, they're very upset. It's very solemn."

Twelve days after Shawn's death, his family flew to the UK and held a candlelit vigil at the spot where he died. They later returned for the trial, using their life savings to repatriate Shawn's body and taking out a loan to cover flights and accommodation for the court proceedings.

When the two boys were sentenced, the family could not afford to travel again. They watched the hearing via videolink in the early hours of Friday morning, Anguilla time.

Family anger at lack of UK support

Suresh expressed frustration at what he described as insufficient financial assistance from British authorities. "I think the government is supposed to contribute because my son didn't do nothing," he said. "He died innocent. I don't care much about the money. But what I lost I can't get back."

Maneshwary said the family has struggled to comprehend how two children could carry out such an attack. "Everybody has been left shocked," she said, adding that she could not believe a 12-year-old could obtain a weapon like a machete. "I get cold when I see that machete."

Basketball coach Merrick Richardson, who also worked with Shawn, said the teenager had come to the UK hoping to build a better life and wanted to study engineering. "It's still hard to comprehend," Richardson said.

Jack Stenhouse, a family friend in Anguilla, reflected on what the killing reveals about knife culture. "It's not the modus operandi in Anguilla, it's a different culture," he said. "But for youngsters thinking of carrying abroad those type of weapons, it says a lot."

Ashes scattered at his favourite beach

Shawn's body was repatriated to Anguilla and cremated. His parents scattered his ashes at his favourite beach, walking into the sea together. The family plan to hold a memorial there on the anniversary of his death.

"I miss my son so much," Maneshwary said. "He did make us laugh all the time in the house. All his love and kindness. He made everybody happy. Every day I wake up since my son passed away — I'm not myself any more. I can't sleep at night. I know it's eating my husband inside every single day."

Coach Pamela Riley remembered the moment Shawn left Anguilla with ambition and optimism. "This was his time," she said. "It was senseless."

Source: Google News AI — Crime