Teen Jailed Over Murder of 13-Year-Old Jahziah Coke

Teen sentenced to life for stabbing 13-year-old Jahziah Coke in drugs row.

A teenager who stabbed 13-year-old Jahziah Coke to death during a row over cannabis has been jailed for life, with a minimum term of eight and a half years.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was convicted of murder by a majority verdict at Wolverhampton Crown Court earlier this year. Jahziah died from a six-inch deep knife wound to the chest after a confrontation at a property in Oldbury, West Midlands, in August 2023.

Sentencing him on Friday, Mrs Justice Tipples said she was satisfied the teenager “intended to kill” Jahziah, describing the attack as “nasty and violent.”

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“When you killed Jahziah, he was only 13 and a child with everything in life ahead of him,” the judge told the defendant, rejecting his claim that he acted in self-defence. She added that while the attack was not premeditated, the force used was “completely out of proportion” to any perceived threat.

Dispute over cannabis

The court heard the stabbing occurred during a dispute over cannabis between the two teenagers. As part of their investigation, police confirmed that Jahziah had recently become involved in low-level drug dealing. Prosecutors did not suggest this justified the violence but said it helped explain the background to the fatal confrontation.

Fled scene and played video games

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After the stabbing, the youth fled the scene by jumping over fences and taking a bus to a friend’s house, where he spent several hours playing video games. During the trial, he told the court he was traumatised by what had happened and denied intending to cause harm.

“A deeply tragic case”

Following the sentencing, Emily Clewer of the Crown Prosecution Service said:

“This is a deeply tragic case where Jahziah Coke lost his life and entire future senselessly to knife violence. While today’s sentence cannot undo the devastation caused, we hope it sends a clear message about the consequences of carrying and using knives.”

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Well, that’s all for now. But until our next article, please stay tuned, stay informed, but most of all stay safe, and I’ll see you then.