Family of boy, 17, stabbed to demise say he was ‘robbed of his future’

The heartbroken family of a 17-year-old boy who was stabbed to death by a teenager at a party in the grounds of a £1.5million country mansion have said he has been ‘robbed of his future’.

Charlie Cosser was fatally stabbed by a boy he had never met before at an end-of-term summer party after asking his killer to leave. 

The teen, who cannot be named for legal reasons, faces the mandatory life sentence following a unanimous verdict in Brighton.

Members of the Cosser family punched the air, hugged each other and wept as the guilty verdict was delivered. The defendant showed no emotion as the verdicts were read out.

Charlie’s father, Martin Cosser said: ‘He was such a lovely young man and we’ve been robbed of his future now. We were only just getting to know what kind of boy he would have been.

‘It should never have happened. The police always said he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

‘Since October last year we’ve been living with the fear something could go wrong. Hopefully, now the family can start to move on now.’

After the verdict, Mr Cosser added: ‘Thank God. We were all hoping for it but you’ve got to hear them say it.’ 

Speaking about the earlier guilty plea, he also said: ‘He didn’t flinch and I just wish we didn’t have to go through this and he had stuck to his guns.’

Charlie’s mother Tara, fighting back tears, said: ‘I’m still going home tonight and he’s not there. This has been a long time coming but it’s the right result.’

Charlie’s grandfather, Steve Cosser, stated: ‘He was such a lovely young man and we’ve been robbed of his future now. We were only just getting to know what kind of boy he would have been. It should never have happened.

‘The police always said he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Since October last year we’ve been living with the fear something could go wrong. Hopefully, now the family can start to move on now.’

The trial happened after a judge allowed him to change his plea. Three days after life support for Charlie was removed on July 25 last year, his killer pleaded guilty to murder. At a hearing in November the guilty plea was vacated. 

The Crown Court in Brighton heard Charlie was stabbed in an eruption of violence on the dance floor.

His killer threw the first punch in a mass brawl when he was asked to leave a second time after another female guest complained she was being sexually harassed by him.

Charlie’s family, who have set up a knife crime charity in his name, gathered outside court after the verdict.

The court heard the defendant burned the clothes he was wearing after being driven away from the party by an adult.

He was contacted by police the next day as he ate at a local carvery restaurant with his mother.

The killer was supported through the trial by his mother and father. They had both been attending the trial until the day the jury went out and when they returned their verdicts the next day.

Charlie Cosser was only 17 when his life support was switched off three days after the party.

Speaking about his killer, Charlie’s father said: ‘He’s well known and I know people are scared of him.

‘The DCI told me when he told him Charlie had died, he didn’t even flinch. He’s known to carry a knife and so is his friend, who I think gave the knife to him.’

After being driven away from the party by a friend’s mother, the boy burned the clothes he wore to the party.

They were destroyed in a fire pit at a friend’s house. He claimed they were covered in his own blood. Another teenage girl has already admitted helping him dispose of his clothes.

In a previous hearing, the boy’s father said: ‘It’s not just him, we are all guilty.

‘He is a child, we are all responsible and should have been making sure they were not drinking. I never saw him drinking before.

‘I haven’t been able to see him for five days and he is only 16, he is a child. We need him to know we love him and we will stay with him all his life.’

Alan Gardner KC for the Crown said mobile phone video caught the moment Charlie, known as Cheeks, was fatally wounded. His family sobbed as the graphic footage was shown in court.

Video dated as taken at 2359 on July 22 last year, shows the moment he was stabbed three times in the chest.

The defendant or one of his friends brought the knife to the party, Mr Gardner said.

The court heard one party goer said the defendant called out ‘Get the shank,’ moments before Charlie Cosser was fatally wounded.

Mr Gardner told the court another witness later heard the defendant say; ‘I’ve stabbed someone,’ six or seven times.

He was only 16-years-old when he attended the end-of-term party at the £1.5million Balmohano Farmhouse at Warnham in rural Sussex.

The jury in Brighton heard there were at least 100 people at the party hosted by the Balfour triplets to celebrate the end of term.

The party goers crowded under a marquee in the grounds of the farmhouse near Horsham as summer rain lashed down.

Trouble started when a girl at the party complained about the defendant and said he had tried to touch her up, Mr Gardner said.

The girl said the defendant was ‘creeping her out’.

‘Two separate fights erupted on the dance floor,’ Mr Gardner said.

‘In the darkness and noise of a crowded dance floor his use of the knife and the knife blows went unnoticed,’ Mr Gardner said.

Charlie was able to leave the tent before collapsing on the grass.

Charlie’s father clutched his head and wiped tears from his eyes as the jury heard details of his last moments of consciousness.

‘At around midnight another party guest was stood on the DJ’s stage when he noticed a boy he knew to be Charlie Cosser lying on the grass.

‘It looked like he was in discomfort.

‘He was holding his arms across his body as if he had stomach ache, and was wriggling around,’ Mr Gardner said.

The court heard the defendant had blood on his hands and clothes.

Charlie, known as Cheeks, Cosser was described as caring and loving by his devastated parents.

The 17-year-old, from Milford in Surrey, died in hospital on Tuesday, July 25, last year.

In a statement from his family, dad Martin, mum Tara, older brother Adam and younger sister Eloise paid tribute to him.

‘Our lives have been destroyed by the tragic and unnecessary loss of our son.

‘Despite courageously battling right till the very end of his young and innocent life, his injuries were too severe and he tragically passed away on the evening of Tuesday 25 July.

‘He was the most caring, cheeky, loving son and brother we could have ever wished for, and we cannot imagine a life without him.

‘Charlie’s wider family are deeply shocked and saddened by the sudden loss.

‘Tributes have been pouring in from Charlie’s wide circle of friends which we would like to acknowledge have brought us huge comfort in our darkest hours.

‘We would also like to thank on our and Charlie’s behalf, all of the efforts of the emergency services who treated him on the scene, as well as the whole of the critical care team at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, who did absolutely everything they could to save our precious boy, with the upmost compassion, empathy, sympathy and care.

‘His ridiculously silly sense of humour will be deeply missed by everyone that knew and loved him.’