A 14-year-old boy who boasted “I’ve wetted your boy” after stabbing a teenager deep in his chest has been convicted of murder.

Victim Tomasz Oleszak, also 14, collapsed after he was knifed in a nature park in Gateshead last October.

His attacker had denied murder, claiming he did not know he had stabbed the boy and slashed another youth’s coat after being attacked by a gang.

The boy’s identity cannot be published but Mr Justice Spencer, sitting at Newcastle Crown Court, is considering lifting a reporting ban.

The judge said: “There is a public interest in trying to deflect young people from the carrying of knives, where when that happens, this kind of utterly tragic outcome can occur.”

The judge was waiting to hear further submissions from the legal team of the boy, who is now 15 and who will be sentenced in June.

During the trial jurors heard that the killer was walking through Whitehills Nature Park with his girlfriend at around 8pm when a group of youths followed them.

He was carrying a serrated kitchen knife in his jacket pocket, which he had explained he picked up at home for “reassurance”, and used it to slash Tomasz when he came under attack from a group.

The killer shouted to the gang: “I’ve wetted your boy” after landing the fatal blow, the court heard.

Mark McKone KC, prosecuting, told jurors: “He wanted them to know he had stabbed one of their number.

“It was a boast.”

Peter Makepeace KC, defending, had told jurors the youth had not looked for trouble and asked the jury to put themselves in his situation: aged 14, attacked by a group, in the dark, not knowing if any of the gang were armed.

He said: “This is a 14-year-old under group attack and having to make terrible decisions under a moment’s notice.”

The jury also convicted him of a charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm on the boy whose coat was slashed.

The defendant had previously admitted carrying a blade.