Swindon residents urged to light candles in memory of stabbed teenager
Owen Dunn from Penhill lost his life on this day in 2022
Supporters of an anti knife crime charity are being urged to light a candle tonight in memory of a Swindon teenager, who was fatally stabbed two years ago today (4th December).
Owen Dunn was 18 when he was attacked by two other teenagers carrying machetes on Mazurek Way, in broad daylight, on 4th December, 2022.
He was on his way to see his girlfriend when he was stabbed, rocking the community and leaving his friends and family devastated.
On Facebook the charity Owen's World, set up since by his family to raise awareness of knife crime and stop people carrying weapons, is urging residents not just to light a candle in his memory, but also to take flowers to his memorial.
During the trial of Owen's killers, who are now serving life sentences with minimum terms of 19 and 12 years each for murder, it emerged that Owen was also carrying a weapon at the time of his death.
Earlier this year his family backed a campaign calling on parents to "Check your Children" and talk openly to kids about the dangers of carrying knives.
Zoe Mitchell, Owen’s mum, wasn’t aware Owen was in possession of a knife at the time of his death until she was told by the police.
She has this message for parents who were in the same situation as her, who thought their child would never carry a weapon.
She said: “I used to say that, I used say exactly the same thing.
“You’ve got to think, it could just possibly be my kid.
“It doesn’t hurt just to check them.”
Speaking in March the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner's Serious Violence Duty Co-ordinator for Wiltshire and Swindon, Natasha Gell, said: “There might be a concern around asking those questions as you’re not quite sure where it might lead and what do you do when you get those answers, because nobody wants to report their child to the police.
“It’s important for members of the public to remember that the police are really engaged with recognising that many children and young people are being criminally exploited into criminal activity."
However, a survey recently found many more people believe young people carry knives, than actually do.
Ms Gell said: "The survey showed that around 3 percent of children and young people would be carrying a knife. Most of them would let us know, colloquially, that the reasons anybody would be carrying a knife would be for self-protection.
“And the same survey highlighted children and young felt that around 19 percent of their peers might be carrying a knife.
“This misconception is really dangerous, because we are concerned that some of that 3 percent might be carrying a knife because they believe that lots of other people are too.”
Owen’s World want to reach out to parents and guardians who have concerns about young people in their family and make sure they know about the support available to them.
Trish Aldred is Owen’s grandma, and she said: “You’ve really got to question what they’re doing, because otherwise, you could end up the way we’ve ended up, losing our Owen.
“And we’ll never get over losing him.”
Information on how to report a crime anonymously and about organisations who provide support for parents and carers can be found via Crimestoppers, the NSPCC, or via the Owens World Foundation.