Mum of murdered Doncaster man 'unsure' if fresh ban on zombie-style knives will make a difference
Ryan Theobald was stabbed to death nearly 3 years ago
The mum of a South Yorkshire man who was stabbed to death in Doncaster says she 'isn't convinced' a new ban on zombie knives & machetes will 'make much difference'.
Lisa Theobald's 20-year-old son Ryan was murdered - alongside his friend Janis Kozlovskis - in 2022.
Changes to the law now mean there's a blanket ban on possessing or selling zombie style-knives & machetes - getting rid of previous loopholes which meant some weapons were not included.
However, Lisa thinks the focus needs to be more on addressing the root cause of knife crime:
"Something else needs doing, not just banning zombie-knives and machetes.
"It needs to be every kind of knife, and we need to focus on getting these young ones educated about the repercussions, because they just think they're going to kill somebody, but it's all the family members involved who end up suffering as well.
"There's a lot of people who carry samurai swords too - so banning these kinds of weapons is crucial as well.
"These young kids think they're really good and that their 'elders' will be proud of them for carrying a knife.
"It's not clever though, and anyone who carries a knife will just end up getting hurt too.
"People in our family are still having therapy now nearly three years on.
"It is really hard and heart breaking - I think about Ryan all the time."
Her son's killer - who was a teenager at the time - is serving a minimum of 26 years behind bars.