A teenager has been found guilty of murdering 16-year-old Harry Pitman in a stabbing on Primrose Hill, London, during New Year's Eve celebrations in 2023. Areece Lloyd-Hall, now 18, was convicted by an 11-1 majority verdict at the Old Bailey after a retrial. He will be sentenced on 10 November.
The court heard that on 31 December 2023, Pitman and Lloyd-Hall were among groups gathered on Primrose Hill to watch the fireworks. Twenty minutes before midnight, an altercation began after Pitman bumped into one of Lloyd-Hall's friends while playfighting. Lloyd-Hall then pulled a knife from his waistband and stabbed Pitman in the neck.
Mobile phone footage showed Lloyd-Hall swinging the knife down onto Pitman's neck as Pitman threw a punch. Police bodycam footage captured Pitman stumbling through the crowd, holding his neck and seeking help from officers. He collapsed shortly after and died just before midnight despite first aid efforts.
Lloyd-Hall fled the scene but later surrendered at a police station with his father. He claimed he had not intended to kill Pitman, saying he thought he had only hit him with the knife sheath. The prosecutor, Jocelyn Ledward KC, described how 'revelry turned to tragedy in the blink of an eye'.
Pitman was described as a 'lively' college student. He was one of 18 teenagers stabbed to death in London in 2023. Detective Inspector Daniel Catmull of the Metropolitan Police said: 'Harry was only 16 years old... a bright and promising young life, whose vibrant spirit touched so many.'
