A documentary into the killing of Yousef Makki, and the trial and inquest that followed, aired on Channel 4 last night – and viewers have been sharing their reactions.
17-year-old Manchester Grammar School pupil Yousef Makki was tragically stabbed to death in the heart by his friend Joshua Molnar with a flick knife – which a coroner said was purchased online with ease “during break time at school” – during a row they had in the affluent Hale Barns area of Trafford on the evening of 2 March 2019.
Makki was from a single-parent Anglo-Lebanese family from Burnage, and had won a bursary to attend Manchester Grammar School.
Molnar, who is from a wealthy family in Hale, later admitted stabbing Makki.
The then 17-year-old Molnar claimed self-defence and was cleared by a jury at Manchester Crown Court of murder and manslaughter, with the coroner’s narrative conclusion also ruling out both unlawful killing and accidental death.
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He was jailed for 16 months for the possession of a knife in a public place and perverting the course of justice by lying to police at the scene.
At the end of the inquest, the coroner said that there was “nothing impressive about the possession of a knife”, and that “work needs to be done in relation to the education of young people on the risks that can arise and on the all too tragic consequences of the possession of a knife.”
Yousef Makki, 17, was stabbed to death in Hale Barns on 2 March 2019 / Credit: Greater Manchester Police
Now, a new documentary has taken a closer look at harrowing events as they unfolded.
The 90-minute documentary, Killed by a Rich Kid, aired on Channel 4 last night and followed the Makki family throughout as they search for answers and pursue the inquest.
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Not only did the documentary aim to take a “forensic look at the killing and subsequent trial” of Molnar, but it also featured recordings of 999 calls, CCTV and crime scene photos, interviews with witnesses from the scene, friends, family, journalists, the police and Crown Prosecution Service, and most-notably, showed never-before-seen or released police bodycam footage of Molnar right after the stabbing occurred.
The documentary also featured powerful testimony from those closest to Makki, as well as key people involved in the criminal trial, all with the aim of piecing together the evidence presented by those who sought justice.
Following the airing of the documentary, viewers have taken to social media in droves to share their reactions, support the Makki family, express feelings of anger, sadness, and despair towards the system, and crucially point-out and question injustices in relation to race, class, wealth, and other subjects touched upon throughout the programme.
#KilledByARIchkid absolutely devastating poor poor mother and whole family and I have such admiration for Yousefs 2 real friends that gave evidence and are helping his family such strong young men.. What a case this awful 💔😭
One viewer wrote on Twitter: “Absolutely devastating, poor poor mother and whole family, and I have such admiration for Yousef’s 2 real friends that gave evidence and are helping his family such strong young men – what an awful case.”
“Another case that is a huge miscarriage of justice. If Josh Molnar was Black, Asian, working class etc, he would still be in prison for murder. Luckily for him, he’s white and rich. F***ed up system. An absolute disgrace,” another angered viewer wrote.
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“I hate this country. I hate the people who run it. I hate the fact that money can cover up evil,” a third wrote.
Another viewer urged parents with teenage children to “sit down and watch this”.
Vile seeing the murderer lying to the police knowing that he was the person that stabbed Yousef. If you’ve got teenage children, please sit down and watch this documentary with them. Knives aren’t toys. Justice for Yousef Makki #KilledByARichKid#yousefmakki
Another viewer shared their rage on Twitter: “The nerve of the police to tell her to drop the case because she can’t afford to give her son the justice he deserves. The justice that was taken away from her. What a f***ed up system! That was her baby.”
“Unbelievable that Joshua Molnar was found not guilty. There’s so many flaws and so many things that went unchallenged,” another added.
“Unbelievable the whole thing,” they concluded.
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Shining a light on the injustices, another viewer tweeted: “Let’s be totally blunt here. If the roles had been reversed here there is no way those not guilty verdicts would have been given. Wealth, privilege and race are what gets you justice.”
The lies🙉 unbelievable that Joshua Molnar was found not guilty. There’s so many flaws and so many things that went unchallenged. Unbelievable the whole thing #killedbyarichkid
Let's be totally blunt here. If the roles had been reversed here there is no way those not guilty verdicts would have been given. Wealth, privilege and race are what gets you justice.#killedbyarichkid
Killed by a Rich Kid was produced for Channel 4 by Blakeway North, and was directed by Tom Reeves – who followed members of Makki’s family for months as they tried to come to terms with the teenager’s tragic eath, and campaign for further legal proceedings in order to find out how he died.
Speaking on the importance of the documentary, director Tom Reeves said: “Yousef’s tragic death has resonated with me ever since I first heard about it. Having grown up and spent my life not far from where his family live, I couldn’t help but feel connected to this tragic story.
“Yousef’s case raises uncomfortable questions about society and the justice system and his family have been left deeply affected by their experiences of this.
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“Whilst filming with them, I have been struck by their determination in refusing to accept that justice was served in this case and their courage in campaigning to keep Yousef’s name alive.”
You can watch a replay of Killed by a Rich Kid on the Channel 4 website here.
Featured Image – Channel 4
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Flashbacks: The timelapse of the Trafford Centre construction that’s gone viral
Danny Jones
The Trafford Centre might look like some decadent Roman emperor’s palace or as if it was plucked from the heart of Ancient Grecian city, but as anyone old enough to remember it’s opening and/or construction will tell you, it seems strange to think its not even been around for three decades yet.
As Greater Manchester’s and one of the North West’s most famous shopping centres full stop, the iconic attraction first began being built back in 1996, when John Major was Prime Minister, Manchester United were still Premier League champions, Britpop was at its peak and George Michael was number one.
It’s fair to say that a lot has changed since then and although Oasis might be back come 2025, The Trafford Centre and surrounding area are pretty unrecgonisable compared to nearly 30 years ago.
All told, it took approximately 27 months to erect the neo-classical epicentre of all things shopping, leisure, food and fanciness – and here’s what the process looked like:
With the initial 14 million sq ft shopping centre being completed in September 1998 following approximately 810 days of work, The Trafford Centre debuted to the Manc public and beyond.
It took more than 3,000 builders to bring the 60 hectare site to life at the peak of construction and since then the plot has only grown bigger, bolder and more ambitious over time.
Present day, it has everything from cinema screens and a mini Legoland to a Sea Life location, multiple bowling alleys and countless other forms of entertainment beyond just rows of shops and restaurants – hence why it remains busy pretty much year-round.
Back then, British celebrities, popular local names of note, politicians, dignitaries and prominent figures from the retail industry got to visit as part of exclusive preview events in the days before its launch date.
You can see the spectacle and fascination surrounding the official opening event here:
Seems surreal watching this today but the construction of the Trafford Centre was a huge moment not just for 0161 but all of the North.
But of course, the entire complex itself has seen multiple extensions over the years, including massive developments such as Barton Square and The Great Hall.
At the outset, it cost more than £600 million to build The Trafford Centre; the major renovations mentioned above which took place in 2008 cost another £100m and the Trafford Palazzo revamp around a decade later came in at around £75m.
There has and always will be lots of money put behind this intruguing monument to modern consumerism, and big brands will continue to flock to open units within the huge expanse whenever they can: some of the most recent being Archie’s, Flying Tiger, Sephora, Tiffany, Gymshark and more.
We’ll admit the aesthetic still makes us double-take from time to time (though not as much as confused Londoners visiting for the first time), but it’s not like this part of the world hasn’t boasted plenty of other curiosities in the past…
Featured Images — Charles Bowring (via Wikimedia Commons)/The Manc Group
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‘Nothing is eternal’: Is Pep Guardiola hinting at the end of Manchester City’s supremacy?
Danny Jones
Pep Guardiola looks to have suggested that more than a decade of Manchester City’s supremacy and Premier League dominance at the very least might be coming to an end.
Speaking in his post-match press interviews after City were knocked out of the Champions League by serial European Cup winners Real Madrid, Guardiola cut a somewhat more deflated figure than usual following the 3-1 defeat.
A Kylian Mbappe hattrick which was closed out within an hour of play was enough to stretch the aggregate score to 6-3 over the two legs and Madrid doubling their lead across the tie proved yet again why, not unlike City domestically over the last decade, they’re the kings of the continental competition.
In contrast, however, Pep seemed to accept the loss much more easily than perhaps we’ve seen in the past and rather than appearing familiarly frustrated or defiant in the press conference; instead, he seemed rather reflective, responding to one reporter: “Nothing is eternal”.
🗣️ "Nothing is eternal" – Pep Guardiola.
🔵 Subscribe to our Manchester City page on BBC Sounds for the latest interviews. #MCFC#bbcfootball
Insisting that they have to decide whether a significant rebuild is needed to keep competing at the very top level consistently as they have done since the 54-year-old arrived back in 2016, he argued that it is only with that they’ll be able to determine what comes next.
As for the result itself, he made no bones about Carlo Ancelotti’s side having “deserved it”, stating simply that “the best team won” and that fans and players alike have to “accept the reality: they were better.”
Having been a familiar foe for Pep long before he arrived in Manchester, both at Barcelona and Bayern Munich – not to mention City having faced Los Blancos a dozen times before Tuesday night since 2012 – there have been less surprising outcomes for supporters to come to terms with.
“With time, the club and everyone is going to accept what it is but for now we have 30/40 games for the Premier League next season to try and be here [in the Champions League] and to improve. Nothing is eternal”, said the Catalan coaching genius.
On the other hand, he also went on to add that it was merely a reflection on the night itself and not what his team have achieved in recent years.
He went on to remark that “when we were playing outstanding it hurt more” to be knocked out of the UCL when he felt they deserved to stay in it, but still insisted: “We have been unbelievable and we have to try step by step to get better from today.” Tonight just wasn’t the night.
Who knows? Perhaps it was just some more melodrama from a manager with an undeniable flare for pageantry and playing into/in the face of narratives when he doesn’t come out on top – which hasn’t happened all that often until their dip in form this season.
Plus, there’s certainly still plenty for him and the fans to be positive about; not only has the arrival of their ‘Egyptian Prince’ and the media’s Mo Salah successor, Omar Marmoush, got plenty of people excited – especially after that first-half hattrick against Newcastle – but so too have the other January signings.
In fact, for all of his downplaying in this particular presser (which you can hear in full HERE), it felt like there were only upsides after their victory over Newcastle, even going so far as to dub new signing Nico Gonzalez a ‘mini-Rodri‘.
You can watch the highlights from the game down below:
Pep is right, nothing is eternal – but sometimes you just come up against talents like Mbappe and there’s very little anyone can do about it.
Emily Sergeant -
22nd March 2022 
