Anti-knife crime organisation supports calls for changes to how prison sentences are served
A petition has been set up for sentences to be served consecutively
A Swindon-based anti-knife crime organisation is backing calls for offenders to serve sentences consecutively, rather than concurrently.
The Owen’s World Foundation is supporting a petition to change the law which has been set up by the Bristol-based Max Dixon Foundation.
One of the people convicted for the death of 18-year-old Owen Dunn served a sentence for another stabbing alongside his sentence for the teenager’s death.
Jo Davis, founder of Owen’s World, told Greatest Hits Radio: “The youngest boy who was involved in Owen’s murder, was involved in another stabbing a month before Owen. That went to court after he was sentenced for Owen.
“He only got eight months, and he had to serve that concurrently, so he’s not actually serving more than on top of what he’s serving now. I just don’t know what that is going to teach anybody.”
Owen Dunn was stabbed to death on the 4th of December 2022 in the Swindon area of Haydon End.
A 15-year-old and an 18-year-old boy were convicted of Owen’s murder the following November and sentenced to 12 and 19 years in prison respectively.
Ms Davis, who is the mother of one of Owen’s closest friends, said in the current system, it “doesn’t make a difference” if someone commits several crimes.
“Any extra criminal activity should be sentenced separately and they should have to serve it consecutively – not within what they are already serving at the moment.
“That other person hasn’t got any justice because he’s serving time anyway, so it doesn’t make a difference. They’ve not got their justice.”
The same also happened in the case of 16-year-old Max Dixon and 15-year-old Mason Rist from Bristol who were stabbed to death in January 2024.
A Government spokesperson told Greatest Hits Radio: “Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for our independent judiciary.
“When deciding what sentence to impose, courts must consider the circumstances of the case, including the culpability of the offender, the harm they caused or intended to cause, and any aggravating and mitigating factors. The courts also have a statutory duty to follow any relevant sentencing guidelines, developed by the independent Sentencing Council for England and Wales.”
The petition currently has just under 800 signatures, but it will need 10,000 for the Government to respond.
At 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.