In February, 15-year-old Harvey Willgoose was fatally stabbed at his school.
The mother of a slain teenager expressed her shock and horror upon learning via social media that her son had been murdered at his school.
Harvey Willgoose’s mother revealed that she is haunted by guilt because she had encouraged the 15-year-old to return to what she described as the “lions’ den.” Caroline Willgoose, aged 51, along with her husband Mark, aged 52, shared with the Mirror that they only became aware of their son’s tragic fate after spotting a social media post about it.
Amid their sorrow, the couple pledged to continue their advocacy for the installation of knife detectors in schools. Caroline remarked, “Our children are terrified of going to school. This must never happen again.”
The accused, also a 15-year-old student who remains unnamed due to legal protections, had confessed to manslaughter but denied committing murder, claiming he had lost control and did not recall stabbing Harvey twice. However, after over 14 hours of deliberation, the jury found him guilty of murder by an 11-1 majority. His sentencing is expected later in the year.
Five days prior to his death, Harvey’s school, All Saints Catholic High, was locked down following reports of a student carrying a weapon. Although the police responded, no weapon was found. Caroline explained that Harvey, wary of attending school, stayed home that day and texted his father, “This is why I avoid school, Dad, because people have knives.”
Caroline described the trial as an unbearable “mental torture,” often too overwhelming to endure, especially as the accused frequently made eye contact with her from the dock. To escape the distressing details being recounted in court, she was provided a small room next door where she attempted to distract herself with a jigsaw puzzle.
Reflecting on the last conversation she had with Harvey, she recalled: “He was heading downstairs and I followed. He said, ‘I’m going to school, Mum. Are you proud of me?’ because it was always a challenge to get him to school. I told him, ‘I am, love,’ and he replied, ‘Love you, bye. Shut the door behind me.’ But Harvey never returned.”
Just hours later, he was stabbed twice by a fellow student at the academy during the lunch break on Monday, February 3rd. The attack was so brutal that the knife pierced five of his ribs and fatally wounded his heart. Caroline lamented that his death has “shattered” their family, including his older siblings, Sophie, 28, and Lewis, 25.
Caroline expressed, “Our lives are destroyed because I know I will never be happy again. Neither will his sister or brother. That’s just a reality.”
Caroline was preparing for her afternoon shift at a factory when her phone rang ominously. “It was Mark’s mother who called to say ‘something’s happened to Harvey’…I called Mark and he was just screaming, ‘He’s been stabbed, it’s serious, Caz, it’s serious.’ I was in disbelief,” she explained.
“As I ended the call, a police car arrived at our house and instructed us to come immediately. Then my other son Lewis, who had been working the early shift, was brought over from his workplace. They planned to rush us to Northern General Hospital with sirens blaring but halfway there they turned off the sirens and told us to head to the children’s hospital at normal speed,” she continued.
“I said to Lewis, ‘He’s not going back to that school,’ and Lewis asked, ‘Why, do you think he’s alright?’ I believed he was. But then, as we reached the hospital, a crowd was waiting outside. They ushered us into a room where we waited for Sophie and Mark. They rushed in, followed by two women. I picked up the phone, and someone had posted ‘RIP Harvey’. I relayed this to them, and they confirmed, ‘Yes, he has passed away.’ And at that, we all just started screaming,” Caroline recounted.
“I kept thinking, ‘I saw him this morning,’ and we all started screaming again. It was horrendous,” she added. She admitted that her grief is still profound, barely scratching the surface, and she finds strength in her memories of Harvey, feeling his presence urging her on. “So many things need to change. And this is why I’m driven. I’m doing this for Harvey,” she declared.
In court, the accused was allowed to play with fidget spinners while listening to the evidence against him. However, Caroline found no solace in courtroom one, unable to watch the CCTV footage of Harvey’s murder, which was played repeatedly to the jury. She could only bear to watch earlier footage of Harvey encountering his killer in the school corridors before his death.
Hi, I’m Benjamin, a member of the Sherburne County Citizen team. With a passion for writing and a deep interest in current affairs, I thoroughly enjoy bringing you the latest news and trends that affect our daily lives.
