Brother of Essex knife crime victim speaks out - 20 years since his death
Ben Hardwidge, 22, was stabbed during an incident in Birchanger on March 1 2004
“Ben’s death literally tore our family apart – I don’t want any more families to go through what we did.”
The brother of a man who died after being stabbed in Essex 20 years ago is speaking out to warn others not to carry knives and ruin their own, and their families’, lives.
Ben Hardwidge, 22, was stabbed during an incident in Birchanger on March 1 2004.
Despite fighting for his life for some hours afterwards, Ben sadly died from his injuries.
Now, his brother James, who was 20 at the time, wants to warn others of the dangers and long-lasting impact of knife crime.
The dad of three said: “For us, we found out in a phone call telling us to come to the hospital – that Ben has been stabbed.
“We initially thought, right he’s been stabbed once, and he was going to be ok. Then we learned he had been stabbed 50 times and he was fighting for his life.
“I remember going into the room and he had all the tubes attached to him and honestly, I just fell to my knees.
“You feel all the emotion; anger, loss, hurt and you think ‘how has this happened to my family?’ You just never think it will happen to you, do you? Ultimately, you want justice.
“I honestly remember it like it was yesterday and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”
Ben had been involved the confrontation, which involved three other people. One of them, an 18-year-old man, stabbed Ben 50 times.
An Essex Police investigation was launched and he was charged with murder. He was sentenced to ten years and six months in prison.
James added: “People who carry knives or use them, they don’t realise what they’re doing can ruin the victim’s life, the victim’s family’s lives, their own life and their own families’.
“It’s cowardly and there is too much of it going on. Every time I read in the news about anyone being stabbed, I still put my hands over my face and prey. I know exactly what that person’s family is going through.
“When Ben was buried, I actually went to his grave every day for eight years. I felt guilty when I actually stopped doing that.
“He was my big brother, I looked up to him; of course. I felt like I had a responsibility to live two people’s lives: mine and Ben’s. I moved into the house he had planned to move into and ultimately have kids in and I bought his favourite car.
“For the family, it impacts you for the rest of your life and for a while, all you see is danger. What happened to Ben has shaped me – and not really in a good way.
“I still have a home camera video to watch of the last Christmas Day we all had together. I remember it, but I can’t bring myself to watch it. I walk past the video everyday but for some reason, I can’t bring myself to watch it.”
Asked what message he would like anyone who carries a knife or is thinking about carrying a knife, he added: “It’s simple, don’t do it. You could kill someone. You could be killed by someone. And that impact doesn’t stop with you. It affects your mum, your dad, your siblings, your friends, your grandparents – everyone around you. Please, take it from me, don’t do it.”
In Essex, knife enabled crime is continuing to fall.
In the last 12 months, the number knife enabled crime incidents fell by 10.4% across the county, with 688 fewer offences.
When looking at the most serious knife offences which are not connected to domestic abuse, we recorded 1,050 in the last 12 months, which is a fall of almost 8% - 90 fewer offences.
We have also seen countywide decrease of about 8% when compared with pre-Covid levels.
Detective Superintendent Gary Biddle, force lead for tackling knife crime, said: “Knife enabled crime is very rare in Essex. The vast majority of people in Essex have not been, and will not be, a victim of knife crime.
“But statistics, of course, do not tell the whole story. Each of these incidents represents a person who has been the victim of a serious knife crime and we know each person involved is likely to have had a truly horrific experience.
“As James so crucially points out, the impact does not stop with the offender or the victim; their families and loved ones will feel that impact and it never leaves.
“As a force, we work determinedly to tackle knife crime, through the enforcement and preventative work of our serious violence unit and alongside our essential partners such as the Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit LINK and local authorities.
“We know that knife is not an issue that we alone can arrest our way out of, so that work with our partners is essential in tackling the crime and its causes.
“We take a whole system approach to it and the reduction in knife crime is also the result of a lot of educational and diversionary work by our partners.”