An inquest is set to be held into the death of murdered Sheffield schoolboy Harvey Willgoose after a coroner reversed an earlier decision not to resume her investigation.
The 15-year-old was stabbed to death in front of children and teachers at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield by Mohammed Umar Khan, 15. The incident, which occurred in February last year, saw Khan take a hunting knife to school.
Conviction and initial decision
Khan was found guilty of murder at Sheffield Crown Court last year and detained for a minimum of 16 years. An inquest was opened and adjourned at Sheffield Coroner’s Court in February 2025, pending the conclusion of the criminal case.
Following Khan’s conviction, senior coroner Tanyka Rawden decided not to resume the inquest. However, this has now been reversed.
Full inquest confirmed
A full inquest into Harvey’s death will be held. The coroner’s office said a date had not been fixed yet.
Law firm Irwin Mitchell, who are representing Harvey’s family, said it had made legal submissions that an inquest was required after a review, commissioned by the trust which runs the school, found Khan had brought knives into school on a number of occasions and identified ‘several missed opportunities’ to address his behaviour.
Review findings
Additionally, the review noted that Khan had 130 behavioural incidents logged on his school record. Among these logs were concerns relating to gangs, weapons and anger.
Welcoming the decision, Harvey’s mum, Caroline Willgoose, said: “It’s devastating to know there were warning signs and chances to step in before Harvey was killed.
“As his mum, I can’t help thinking about what might have happened if someone had acted. We wanted an inquest because we owe it to Harvey to keep asking those questions and find out whether more should have been done to keep him safe.
“Hearing there will now be an inquest is a huge relief. It won’t bring Harvey back or take away the pain, but it means the questions we’ve lived with since that day can finally be asked.”
She added: “We have fought for this for Harvey. He deserved to be safe at school, and we hope getting those answers will help stop another child being taken from their family.”
Public interest and next steps
Yogi Amin, from Irwin Mitchell, stated: “There is a strong public interest in examining whether Harvey’s death was preventable and whether systemic failings in the education system contributed to it.
“While the coroner will determine the inquest’s scope, Mark and Caroline hope they will examine safeguarding policies, practices and resources applied in schools and the role of public bodies.
“This includes looking at information sharing and risk escalation and consider if measures are necessary to prevent similar deaths. In the meantime, we urge school leaders nationally to review their policies and practices. They must be fit for purpose and so other pupils aren’t put at risk.”
