Grieving mum of Mark Smith backs our campaign

Jun 29 2008 by Phil Doherty, Sunday Sun

A DEVASTATED mother whose teenage son was stabbed to death is backing our campaign to lock up knife thugs.

Mark Smith, 16, was struck in the neck by another teenager wielding a kitchen knife during an argument in May last year.

His grieving mum Margaret Smith, 47, of Elswick, Newcastle, was left horrified by the sentences a judge gave the two people convicted in connection with her son’s death.

A 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denied murder but admitted manslaughter and was sentenced to 18 months’ detention.

The youth was given the kitchen knife by co-accused Lee Keenan, 20, of Benwell, Newcastle, who pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon. Keenan told probation officers he carried the knife for his own protection and was jailed for two years.

The mum-of-four, who said she is still tormented by her son’s death, is supporting our Jail Knife Thugs campaign.

We want anybody caught carrying a knife without lawful excuse to face an immediate jail sentence.

Margaret said: "The sentence they gave to Mark’s killer and the man who gave him the knife were ridiculous. It gives people the message they can go out and kill people.

"The youth will be able to start a new life, but my laddie won’t.

"Tougher action needs to be taken with anyone found with a blade on them. People who carry knives do so with the view of using them."

We launched our campaign after it was revealed legal guidelines issued to law courts by a senior judge said first-time offenders should be given community service orders or a fine.

At the same time, another senior judge was calling for tougher sentences on offenders to deal with the "epidemic" of knife crime.

Margaret said: "The system at the moment really stinks and a lot of young people have a lack of respect. Every time another young person is killed it brings it all back. It’s like when Mark died all over again.

"I fully back the campaign. There have been times when I have wanted to take a knife to the two involved in my son’s death but I haven’t and I wouldn’t. I feel like I want to kill them for taking our bairn’s life away."

After Mark’s death, his mum set up a petition to appeal for a longer sentence for her son’s killer. She said: "The Government needs to get tougher on knife crime otherwise more families are going to go through this heartache."

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