A man from Huddersfield has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 23 years for the unprovoked murder of a teenage boy in the town centre.
Alfie Franco, 20, of The Crescent, Kirkburton, was convicted at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday, 9 October 2025, of murdering 16-year-old Ahmad Mamdouh Al Ibrahim. He was sentenced the following day.
The court heard that the fatal attack took place shortly before 2.45pm on 3 April on Ramsden Street, Huddersfield. Ahmad had been walking with a friend when they passed Franco and a woman. CCTV footage showed Franco speaking to Ahmad, who briefly turned back despite speaking little English.
Moments later, Franco was seen reaching for a concealed knife and stabbing Ahmad once in the neck without any provocation or threat. Ahmad managed to stagger away before collapsing due to severe blood loss. Despite the swift response of emergency services, he later died in hospital.
Franco was arrested later that afternoon after attending Huddersfield Police Station. He claimed he acted in self-defence, but the jury rejected this, with detectives stating the account was clearly contradicted by CCTV evidence. Ahmad was unarmed at the time of the attack.
Temporary Detective Superintendent Damian Roebuck, who led the investigation, described the killing as a “dreadful and inexplicable” act of violence against a teenager Franco had never met. He said the sentence would hopefully provide some comfort to Ahmad’s grieving family.
Ahmad had arrived in the UK from Syria in October 2024 and had only lived in Huddersfield for a few weeks. His uncle, Ghazwan Al Ibrahim, told the court Ahmad had hoped to build a better life after fleeing conflict, adding that the family remains devastated by his death.
Chief Superintendent Jim Griffiths of Kirklees Police said knife crime in the district had fallen by 12 per cent over the past year but acknowledged the deep concern caused by Ahmad’s killing. He said police and partner agencies continue to focus on education and enforcement to prevent knife violence across West Yorkshire.
