The family of Yousef Makki have won their appeal to the High Court for a fresh inquest into the teenager’s death.
After months of waiting for a verdict, the Makki family were today told that judges have quashed the judgement, and that their campaign for a fresh inquest has succeeded – with Lady Justice Macur and Mr Justice Fordham having handed down their ruling at the High Court in Manchester.
The judges have now ordered a new inquest before a different coroner.
The verdict comes after 17-year-old Yousef Makki, who was a scholarship student at Manchester Grammar School, was tragically stabbed to death by Joshua Molnar with a flick knife – which the coroner said was purchased online with ease “during break time at school” – during a row they had in the Hale Barns area of Trafford back on the evening of 2 March 2019.
Molnar claimed self-defence and was cleared by a jury at Manchester Crown Court of murder and manslaughter.
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He was jailed for 16 months for the possession of a knife in a public place and for perverting the course of justice by lying to police at the scene.
Yousef Makki’s family win appeal for second inquest into his death / Credit: Family Handout
But Makki’s family has consistently described this previous conclusion as “disgusting”.
Back in May 2022, a judge granted permission for a full judicial review into the inquest, and then in early November last year, the teenager’s family asked the High Court for a fresh inquest into his death, arguing that because the standard of proof in a criminal trial is “beyond reasonable doubt”, they believe that “on the balance of probabilities”, the coroner could conclude Makki was unlawfully killed.
Peter Weatherby KC, who was representing the family at a judicial review hearing at the High Court in Manchester back in November, also questioned the “fanciful” version of events that were presented as having happened on the night.
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Yousef Makki, 17, was stabbed to death in Hale Barns on 2 March 2019 / Credit: GMP
Mr Weatherby said there were “discrepancies” between evidence heard at the trial and the inquest.
He raised the point that during inquest, Molnar said he was not sure who produced the knife first, but had told the jury in his trial that Makki took his knife out first and he claimed self-defence – which also led Mr Weatherby to questioning the version of events directly after the stabbing.
“Unless there was some terrible accident or unless Yousef Makki put him in fear, this was an unlawful killing and the coroner simply fails to address those issues in her decision,” Mr Weatherby said.
Featured Image – Greater Manchester Police
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Beloved Manchester artist Stanley Chow slams Conservative Party for using his artwork
Daisy Jackson
Celebrated local artist Stanley Chow has lashed out at the Conservative Party.
The illustrator, who is famed for his cartoon portraits of famous faces, has discovered that the political party have been using his Andy Burnham illustration at their party conference.
Publicly addressing the usage, Stanley said he would be ‘seeking legal advice’.
He shared a photo of his Andy Burnham portrait that has been placed onto a water bottle with the slogan ‘Bottler Burnham’.
The label also says: “0% strength. Bottled under pressure from Badenoch.”
In another photo, Stanley Chow revealed that the Tory party conference has used his Andy Burnham portrait on pots of sweets, too.
This time, they say: “Andy Panders’ people pleaser pick n mix. Free sweets for everyone, it will only cost you higher taxes.”
Stanley wrote: “It seems like @conservatives have been using my artwork without my permission at their conference party…
“Regardless of whatever your political allegiances are, it’s still copyright infringement… I’ll be seeking legal advice.”
Backing him up in the comments are a number of other local artists, including Mancsy, who said: “As well as the copyright infringement, I expect more of political parties than making gags at the expense of the opposition. It’s alarming on multiple levels.”
Someone else wrote: “Imagine calling a prime minister a people pleaser like it’s an insult… when it’s their job.”
Another person said: “How does that even happen?! Layers of people signing off who go, ‘Sure, let’s not worry about copyright’ (people who’ve presumably never step foot in MCR and seen your artwork, like EVERYWHERE). Drag em, babe. Copyright and reputation, surely.”
Manchester man jailed after sexually assaulting and masturbating in front of woman on train
Emily Sergeant
A man has been jailed after sexually assaulting and masturbating in front of a woman on board a train to Manchester.
Following an extensive British Transport Police (BTP) investigation, Nisan Fernando Kurukulasuriya, of Troutbeck Road in Altrincham, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court last month.
At the trail last month, the court heard how, on Monday 20 April 2026, 39-year-old Kurukulasuriya was on a train from Stoke to Manchester and sat next to a woman he didn’t know, who was on the phone.
He then sexually assaulted her repeatedly, doing so again even after being pushed away by the woman.
The woman then noticed that Kurukulasuriya had exposed himself and was masturbating in front of her. She shouted at him, and in response, he stood up and ran away to leave the train – but the woman immediately got up to report the incident to staff.
When the train arrived at Manchester Piccadilly, the woman alerted a member of staff while Kurukulasuriya was stood only a few meters away, and BTP were subsequently called straight away.
Police quickly attended and arrested Kurukulasuriya.
When police interviewed him, Kurukulasuriya showed no remorse for his actions and refused to answer any questions put to him.
After pleading guilty to Sexual Assault and Outraging Public Decency at a previous court hearing, Kurukulasuriya was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, and was also handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which will bar him from sitting next to any woman he doesn’t know on public transport, as well as being put on thensex offenders register for 10 years.
BTP Detective Sergeant, Mark Haviland, called Kurukulasuriya a ‘despicable man’ who targeted a woman travelling alone ‘for his own sick sexual gratification’.
Emily Sergeant -
20th January 2023 
