A regional daily has won an inquest fight to publish footage of a stabbed teenager’s last moments with the backing of his family.

The Manchester Evening News successfully applied to obtain the video at an inquest into the death of 17-year-old Yousef Makki, who was fatally knifed by his friend Joshua Molnar.

Molnar was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter following a trial at Manchester Crown Court in 2019, telling the jury he had acted in self-defence, while another boy was acquitted of perverting the course of justice.

The footage of the pair had previously been shown at the trial, but the MEN made no application to obtain it then as they were both youths at the time.

But MEN crime reporter John Scheerhout stood up at the inquest, held at Stockport Coroners’ Court last month, to ask if the material could now be released to the media.

Senior South Manchester coroner Alison Mutch said it was not her “practice” to release such material but invited John to make a written application.

John, pictured, told HTFP: “One of my colleagues Chris Walker, a managing editor with a great knowledge of the law around court reporting, helped me draft a letter which directed the coroner to paragraphs 37 to 56 of the Chief Coroner’s Guidance number 25 which stresses the ‘open justice principle’.

“I was surprised a senior coroner needed to be reminded that the release of such material is not governed by ‘practice’.

“Our letter stated that paragraph 46 of the guidance stipulates ‘that the coroner should normally accede to a media request unless there is a compelling reason not to.'”

John and Chris argued that none of the listed exemptions – including national security, public interest immunity, legal privilege, potential prejudice to future proceedings, or Article 8 – applied in this case.

Their case was subsequently backed by the Makki family and other media, although it was opposed by QCs for the two accused.

John added: “In the end the coroner only sanctioned the release of the CCTV, not the body-cam footage.

“However, the CCTV was an important victory. It enabled me to write a piece where people could see for themselves the movements of the boys that day, how Yousef Makki had been acting as a peacemaker on the day he died.”

Mr Makki was fatally stabbed through the heart by Molnar during a confrontation in Hale Barns, near Altrincham, on 2 March 2019 which followed an earlier incident in Wilmslow a fortnight earlier.

Ms Mutch recorded a narrative verdict following a seven-day inquest, saying she could not safely conclude that the death was either unlawful or accidental.

Added John: “The Makki family members were devastated that they didn’t get the unlawful killing verdict they had hoped for but I know they have drawn comfort from the fact some of the video gathered by the police investigation is finally in the public domain.

“It’s clear to me that the default position for some coroners is that documents and other evidence like video shouldn’t be given to journalists. Their own rules say it’s the other way around.”