He has also been charged with attempted murder and possessing an offensive weapon
A 16-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of a teenage girl who was stabbed to death in Hexham.
Holly Newton, 15, was fatally wounded in the Priestpopple area of Hexham at about 17:10 GMT on Friday and later died in hospital.
A 16-year-old boy, who was also taken to hospital, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Another 16-year-old boy was initially arrested on suspicion of assault, and later on suspicion of murder.
Northumberland Police have now confirmed that he has been charged with the murder of Newton.
15-year-old Holly Newton was stabbed to death in the quiet, peaceful town of Hexham, Northumbria.
It’s an act of violence which the mayor claimed “has never happened here before”.
A 16-year-old male has been charged with her murder. @SkyNews pic.twitter.com/Ncs1Duzysj
— Inzamam Rashid (@inzyrashid) January 29, 2023
He has also been charged with attempted murder and possessing an offensive weapon.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons is scheduled to appear before magistrates in Newcastle on Monday.
Northumbria Police Ch Supt Sam Rennison said Holly, of Haltwhistle, “still had so much left to look forward to in life, and this tragic incident has left her family devastated beyond words”.
She added: “Their grief simply cannot be put into words, and our thoughts are with both families involved and their loved ones as we continue to support them in every way we can.
“The investigation is ongoing, and I’d like to show my appreciation to the people of Hexham – and beyond – who have greatly assisted with our enquiries and shown their support.
“While our enquiries continue, we do believe all those involved are known to each other and there is no wider risk to the public.”
On Sunday, Holly Newton was named locally as the victim of the stabbing.
A GoFundMe page has since been set up to help her family with funeral costs.
At the time of writing, £4,460 has been raised.
Police were called shortly after 5:10pm on Friday to reports of a boy and girl who had suffered “injuries consistent with having been caused by a bladed article.”
The pair were both taken to hospital, with Holly passing away later that evening.
Derek Kennedy, mayor of Hexham, said: “It’s an absolute tragedy, the town is in complete shock, to lose one of our children who attends a local high school is just horrendous.
“Parents are really anxious for the health of their children because they’re all a part of this community, the schools are all really anxious that their children are really feeling the pain and suffering and shock of such an awful incident.
“In the Hexham community we have a very low crime rate, generally, it’s a community that looks after one another, we were awarded the happiest place to live in Great Britain last year.
“It’s a very warm and loving community so for a tragedy such as this to happen, we always find it much more difficult and it’s knocked everyone for six.
“To happen to such a young person and the alleged perpetrator to be a young person, in the high street at 5pm, is just shocking, everyone is just shocked and struggling to come to terms with it, it will ruin so many lives.”
Related links:
- Pedestrian, 84, killed by driver, 96, who had been warned about eyesight
- Redhead girl stabbed with scissors at school ‘because of colour of her hair’
- Man charged with assaulting Matt Hancock on the London Underground
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