Bereaved Liverpool mum calls for tougher sentences for children who kill other youngsters

A bereaved Liverpool mum is calling for tougher sentences for children who kill other youngsters, in a bid to end Liverpool's struggle against knife crime.

Mandy Jamieson has been speaking to us after a 15 year old boy was told earlier this week, he'd have to serve a minimum of 13 years, for the murder of 12 year old Ava White.

Daniel Jamieson was stabbed to death in 2018. Owen Cousins, who was 17 at the time, was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter.

After learning her sons killer could be up for parole next year, Mandy tells us grieving families aren't getting the justice they need :

"My son is in a box in the cemetery and i'll never be able to touch him, smell him or anything and he's done five years and can still have a life, is that justice?

"I believe if you can go out with a knife and stab someone then you have to suffer the consequences; a life for a life.

"I don't believe our justice system is hard enough, there has to be a deterrant. There's still going to be kids who stab other kids and there are going to be more kids dead. Until that happens we're just going to go on and on and on because they're not frightened of the justice system.

"Once they're sentenced you still feel exactly the same as when Ava died and when Daniel died. That's not justice for us it's just a process.

"if you are adult enough to go out with a knife then you should have an adult sentence.

"That would put the fear of god in the kids".

A recent change to the sentencing act now gives judges new starting points for children who murder and makes it tougher for over 18s who committed murder as a child to have their minimum term reviewed.

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