Mother whose son was stabbed to death combats knife epidemic

Mandy Jamieson's son Daniel, 16, was killed when his teenage attacker pulled out a lock-knife and stabbed him during a supposed fist fight on July 3, 2018. Owen Cousins, 17, of

Liverpool, was convicted of manslaughter and jailed for 11 years last Friday. Now Mandy is launching a community hub called Danny's Place which will feature activities like boxing to

encourage teenagers to stop carrying knives. Describing how her heartache some days leaves her "unable to breathe", Mandy said: "I had to watch my boy bleed out on the floor

in front of me. I saw the colour drain out of him. I brought him into the world and on that night I had to watch him leave. "The moment my son died is now, yesterday, tomorrow and

forever. "My son dies all over again every morning that I wake up. "These stabbings are happening because there aren't enough activities and services for young people to

access, especially in this area. "Trying to get this set up is the only thing that helps me cope with the loss of my son. Instead of killing each other they can knock 10 bells out of

each other." Daniel died just before his 17th birthday when a stab wound to his thigh caused "catastrophic bleeding". Twin sister Annie opened her birthday presents by her

brother's grave. Mandy, also mother to daughters Daryl, 31, Emily, 21 and Annie, 17, said: "Daniel was a funny, very witty kid. He was a complete mummy's boy, my baby and only

boy. "My daughters called him the 'blue eye' because they felt I let him get away with everything. "Ever since he died I keep smelling his clothes, coats, anything that

I can find just so that I can smell him. On the birthday after he died all my family were with me but I was numb. All I wanted to do was dig him up and take him home with me." After

Cousins was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court, Det Chief Insp John Middleton said: "A young life ended as a consequence of someone recklessly carrying and using a knife. Tackling violence

and knife crime is not something police and the courts can do alone. "We continue to work to educate young people about the devastating consequences, which Daniel's death sadly

shows. "We want parents, guardians and young people to help reinforce this message." Brian Forshaw, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Daniel has become another

statistic in the dreadful roll call of young people who've died from knife crime."