A grieving mum is calling for urgent change to help save other children's lives.
Daniel Gee-Jamieson died after sustaining a fatal stab wound at a park just off Belle Vale Road in Gateacre in July 2018. As mum Mandy held her son in her arms, Daniel said: "Mum, I just want to go to sleep."
In the wake of her son's death, Mandy has set up Danny’s Place, a social enterprise keeping his memory alive - speaking to young people about the wider effects knife crime has on all those involved. The petition can be found here.
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Mandy told the ECHO: "Owen Cousins was given 11 years for killing my son, it was best at the time but to me, my son is still gone. He gets out in February next year and as a grieving mum it's like is that all my child's life is worth?
"He was my only son and every day is the same. My son died yesterday, tomorrow and forever, it's like living a life sentence."
Danny's Place has now teamed up with the Ava White Foundation to launch a petition for a law change to ensure anyone found guilty of illegal possession of a knife will receive a mandatory 10-year sentence.
Ava White was just 12 years old when she was killed by a boy just two years older than her after an argument over a video posted on Snapchat in November 2021. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was jailed for 13 years after stabbing the schoolgirl in the neck with a flick knife in Liverpool City Centre.
Ava's mum Leeann has previously spoken out about the need for change as she called for children as young as 12 to be searched by police officers. Mandy continued: "To us, me and Leeann, it's important the justice system recognises what families go through. A knife kills just as much as a gun so it needs to be a mandatory ten year sentence.
"I reached out to Leeann when Ava died and we've been friends ever since. People can't understand why you can't grieve and move on but the trauma is unbelievable. It's not something you get over.
"We are seeing knife crime far too much and something needs to be done. Only cowards use knives. If you can't use your fists, don't bother fighting at all, it's not an accessory to go with your North Face.
"I've seen kids showing off who has got the biggest knife, the mindsets have got to change. We don't want another family to go through what we've been through so we are asking the city of Liverpool to sign the petition and make a change."
The Ava White Foundation has also launched a petition in the hopes of making it a legal requirement to have bleed control kits in all public places. The petition can be found here.
Mandy added: "Leeann and I agree that if these bleed packs were out when our children were taken, they could still be alive. To us, we can help save another child's life."
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