'˜Mother's Day without my son is horrible' Notts mum of knife crime victim speaks out

A Nottinghamshire mum whose son was fatally stabbed is urging parents to cherish their children - and do everything they can to protect them from knife crime.
'I'd hate anyone to go through what I've been through''I'd hate anyone to go through what I've been through'
'I'd hate anyone to go through what I've been through'

Jane Taylor’s son Luke Moran was murdered in 2011 in Clifton, Nottingham- aged just 25.

Seven years on, the heartache of his loss has never gone away and on Mother’s Day today will be felt even more intensely.

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Mrs Taylor is urging parents to have a conversation about knife crime with their children and educate them about the dangers of carrying a knife.

She is supporting the force’s new awareness campaign, ‘Lives Not Knives’ by recording a video where she speaks candidly about the impact knife crime has on people’s lives and calls for parents to do more to tackle the issue.

She said: “I hate Mother’s Day. Obviously I still have Zack (Luke’s twin brother) and my grandson who gets me a card, but Luke used to get wine, a rose, some chocolate. He’d spoil me and make me something to eat.

“It’s going to be really difficult this Mother’s Day. People will come up to me and ask how I’m coping, but I have to. It’s a horrible life I’m living, but you’ve got to carry on.”

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Jane has asked Nottinghamshire parents to talk to their children, make sure they are aware of the dangers knife crime can cause and explained how much the incident not only affected her life, her families, but the whole community.

She said: “Knife crime destroys two people’s lives. Not just the person who gets stabbed, but the person who did it. Their family would suffer, like we suffer. I would hate to think I’ve got a murderer in the family, but quite a few people have.

“I think it’s the parent’s responsibility to check the children. Make sure they haven’t got anything that they shouldn’t have when they are going out. The only way to solve it is to get parents on board and getting stricter.

“People don’t need to carry a knife. They aren’t for protection. If you use it and are carrying, you’re going to prison for a long time. That should be more than enough of an incentive not to carry.

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“I’d hate anyone to go through what I’ve been through. It’s not easy, it doesn’t get any easier and it still destroys me now. Knives are a bad thing.

“I have the opinion that if you are going to carry a weapon, you are more than likely to use it, so why carry one in the first place.”

To learn more about knife crime and to receive advice of how to start the conversation please visit the force’s new webpage: www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/knifecrime