IN THE NEWS
On New Year’s Day, the nation woke to tragic news of the fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old boy. Harry Pitman had been to Primrose Hill in north London to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks when what police described as “an altercation” occurred. Harry was stabbed at about 11.40pm. A group of police officers who were nearby attempted to save his life, but he was pronounced dead at the scene shortly before midnight.
Last week, a 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named due to his age, was told he could face a life sentence if convicted of Harry’s murder. A plea date has been set for 26 March. If he pleads not guilty, a trial of up to four weeks is scheduled to begin on 2 September this year. Harry’s sister Tayla, 19, said that her brother was a “good boy” who had a “heart of gold”.
Shockingly, knife crime in the UK continues to rise. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that knife-enabled crime rose five per cent in 2022 to March 2023.
Last week, actor Idris Elba launched his Don’t Stop Your Future campaign at Parliament Square in London, where clothes were laid out to represent those killed by knives on UK streets. He called for the immediate banning of machetes and “zombie” knives and more funding for youth services. “We need to give young people more of a reason not to carry a weapon in the first place,” Idris said. “That means investing in the services that address the root causes of violent crime.”
Closer spoke to a mum who sadly lost her son to knife crime about what can be done to help stamp it out…
CAMPAIGNING MUM: ‘I want to turn my grief into action’
Bernice, 45, a single mum of four from Haver Hill, Suffolk, says, “When I woke up to the news of Harry Pitman’s death, I sobbed my heart out that yet another family have lost someone so senselessly. I know the horror that they’ve just walked into.
“My son Harley was my youngest. He was always laughing and joking around. He was a big softy – he’d walk away rather than get into a fight. He didn’t like conflict and he hated bullies. He was a typical teenager who loved gaming. He was at school studying for GCSEs and wanted to go into the construction trade. He had a bright future ahead of him.
“At the end of 2022, Harley started dating Izzy*. She was a pleasant girl – quiet, shy and polite. It was Harley’s first proper girlfriend, and I could see she was making him happy.
But what I didn’t realise was that she had a jealous ex, aged 16, who was unhappy she was in a new relationship.
“On January 9 2023, our lives changed forever when Izzy’s ex, who cannot be named because of his age, waited for Harley after school – he was carrying a steak knife that he’d taken from his kitchen at
