What Happened in Court at Manchester Crown Court
Carl Benson, 44, is standing trial at Manchester Crown Court after prosecutors alleged he helped move a stolen car linked to the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Kyle Hackland in Withington. The Manchester father is accused of assisting his teenage son in the chaotic hours after the November 2022 attack, in a case that has gripped the city and raised urgent questions about what happens when parents are pulled into a serious criminal investigation.
Carl Benson leaving Manchester Crown Court in July 2024
Prosecutors say Benson helped shift a stolen VW Golf that detectives view as a crucial piece of evidence in the teen stabbing case, allegedly used to carry three youths later convicted of murder. His son Alfie, then 16, has already been found guilty of manslaughter for driving the group to and from the scene. Jurors are now being asked to decide whether the father crossed the line from worried parent to someone who deliberately helped after a serious offence.
Who Is Involved in the Kyle Hackland Stabbing Case
The trial sits on top of an already devastating case that has reshaped a community.
-
Victim: Kyle Hackland, 17, fatally stabbed in Withington
-
Convicted of murder: Tafari Smith, Lewis Ludford and Yousef Sesay
-
Convicted of manslaughter: Alfie Benson, who drove the car
-
Now on trial: Carl Benson, accused of assisting after the crime
Yousef Sesay, Tafari Smith and Lewis Ludford (GMP)
Prosecutors argue that Benson’s movements, phone activity and his contact with his son shortly after the stabbing show a pattern of involvement in what happened to the Golf. The defence insists he was acting as any parent would under pressure—trying to find his son, get him home and understand what had happened, without knowing the full horror of the stabbing.
How CCTV and Phone Data Are Being Used Against Carl Benson
Jurors have been taken through a detailed timeline of calls, car journeys and digital activity. Benson told the court he was working in Heaton Moor when he received a call alerting him to a stabbing involving a teenager in Burnage. Unable to reach Alfie at first, he eventually heard his son’s voice via another youth’s phone and said he believed Alfie was safe but upset.
Later that day, Benson drove to pick his son up from an address he did not recognise. During that journey, Alfie’s phone dropped off the network. Prosecutors highlighted this moment, while Benson said he could not explain why the device disconnected.
Benson also described briefly stopping his Land Rover after Alfie asked him to let another person get in. He said he assumed the newcomer was linked to his son’s accommodation and did not ask questions. Prosecutors challenged why this detail had only emerged later, pointing to CCTV that appears to show another figure linked to the car movements.
CCTV footage appears to show Benson’s Land Rover pulling up close to where the stolen VW Golf was parked. A person is seen getting out and running along the street before both vehicles are later seen leaving in different directions. The Golf was subsequently recovered in Salford with false plates, adding to its importance in the investigation.
Why Prosecutors Say the VW Golf Matters So Much
At the centre of the case is the stolen VW Golf, which police say was used to transport the teenagers before and after the stabbing. To prosecutors, the car is not just a vehicle—it is the thread that connects the group to the attack and the movements that followed.
They argue that anyone helping to move or interfere with the Golf after the killing would be interfering with a key piece of evidence. The defence counters that Benson did not appreciate the car’s importance, did not understand the full seriousness of what had happened in Withington and did not set out to obstruct the investigation.
To decide the case, jurors must weigh not only where Benson went and who he met, but what he likely knew at each moment.
Legal Explainer: What “Assisting an Offender” Means in UK Law
The charge Benson faces is not about taking part in the stabbing itself, but about what he allegedly did afterwards. Under UK law, assisting an offender covers situations where someone intentionally helps another person avoid being arrested, charged or prosecuted after a crime has been committed.
For a jury, several questions matter:
-
Did the person helping know or believe a serious offence had been committed?
-
Did they take a specific action that made it harder for the authorities to investigate or catch the offender?
-
Were they acting with that knowledge, rather than by accident or in total ignorance?
Moving or hiding a vehicle, disposing of items, providing transport or shelter, or helping someone travel away from an incident can all fall within this law—but only if the person doing it understood they were helping someone involved in a crime.
In Benson’s case, this is why the timing of phone calls, the point where a phone disconnects from the network, and the movements of the Land Rover and the Golf are being examined so closely. They help the jury decide whether he was acting as an anxious father in the dark, or as someone who realised a serious crime had taken place and chose to help anyway.
What Happens Next in the Carl Benson Trial
The trial is set to continue as the jury hears more evidence from investigators and further questioning of Benson’s account. Digital records, CCTV clips and witness testimony will remain at the heart of the case, as both sides try to persuade jurors how to interpret each movement and each decision made on that day.
Benson has pleaded not guilty. Once all evidence has been heard and closing speeches delivered, the judge will provide legal directions on the meaning of assisting an offender, and the jury will then retire to decide whether the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Carl Benson Trial
Is Carl Benson accused of being involved in the stabbing itself?
No. He is not accused of taking part in the attack on Kyle Hackland. His charge relates to what he allegedly did after the stabbing, particularly in relation to the stolen car.
Why is the stolen VW Golf so important to the case?
Investigators say the Golf was used to take the teenagers to and from the scene of the stabbing. Its movements, the way it was handled afterwards and the fact it was later found with false plates make it a key piece of evidence.
Why does intent matter in an “assisting an offender” charge?
The law requires that the person accused knew or believed a serious offence had already taken place and then chose to help. If someone acts without that knowledge, it is much harder to prove the offence.
What is the current position of Alfie Benson?
Alfie Benson has already been convicted of manslaughter in connection with Kyle Hackland’s death. His case and sentence are separate from his father’s ongoing trial, which focuses solely on whether Carl Benson assisted after the crime.
