A teenager who is accused of stabbing a 16-year-old boy to death on New Year's Eve has denied murder .
The 16-year-old defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was previously charged with murder and possession of an offensive weapon following the incident in Primrose Hill Park, north London. Harry Pitman, 16, was killed with a hunting knife as he waited to watch the fireworks last year.
Medics at the scene tried to save him but despite their best efforts, Harry was pronounced dead just 20 minutes before midnight. Judge Sarah Whitehouse, KC, previously said the defendant "was in a large gathering on New Year's Eve and some sort of altercation arose and the allegation is he stabbed Harry Pitman."
On Tuesday, the defendant appeared at the Old Bailey for a plea hearing before Mr Justice Cavanagh. Speaking quietly, the defendant confirmed his identity and pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. In the courtroom, a member of the victim’s family became emotional and cried out as the teenager denied murder, before apologising for the outburst. The defendant was not in the dock, having attended court via video-link.
Harry's two siblings Tayla and brother Patrick have since spoken out about the tragedy and said he "did not have a bad bone in his body". Tayla, 19, paid tribute from the family home in Tottenham and previously told MailOnline: "I keep on expecting him to come through the front door. His dinner is still in the oven, mum can't bring herself to remove it. Harry was my baby brother, he was most handsome boy you could ever meet."
Harry's grandad, Philip Woolveridge, 59, earlier described him as a "cheeky chappy" and said that every New Year's Eve is going to be a "reminder" of his death. He told The Sun: "I can't express how devastated we are as a family. We have got to rally around my daughter [Harry's mum]. We are worried about her.
"Harry was a cheeky chappy, he would turn anything into a joke. He wouldn't intentionally go out of his way to harm anyone, he would protect his mates. He is one of the biggest members of the family - being tall can make you a target. He had bright ginger hair that he grew into and he wore it well - like a badge of honour."
The teenage defendant now faces a trial from September 2, which is expected to take up to six weeks.
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