Man denies murdering 16-year-old boy who was stabbed in Huddersfield town centre

Ahmad Mamdouh Al Ibrahim, 16, died in hospital after he was stabbed in the neck during an incident in Ramsden Street, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in April.

On Wednesday, Alfie Franco, 20, appeared at Leeds Crown Court by videolink from prison and pleaded not guilty to murdering Ahmad.

But he admitted a charge of possessing a knife in a public place.

Franco, who appeared on the link wearing a grey polo shirt and sitting behind a desk, is due to go on trial on October 2.

The trial is expected to last five days.

Ahmad’s family has previously said he was a “kind, gentle” boy who had fled war-torn Homs, in Syria, to live with his uncle and dreamed of becoming a doctor, “wanting to heal others after all he had endured”.

He had only recently moved to Huddersfield from the South Wales area, West Yorkshire Police said after his death.

Franco was remanded in custody by Judge Tom Bayliss KC.