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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Alahna Kindred

Grieving mum shares video singing to son in hospital before he died of stab wounds

A grieving mother has released a heartbreaking video of her singing to her son in hospital as he died from stab wounds.

Zoey McGill shared some of her final moments with Jack Woodley, who was 18 when he was attacked and stabbed leaving the Houghton Feast in County Durham last October.

Jack was put on a life support machine but, despite the best efforts of medical staff, died on October 17.

Earlier this year, his 10 teenage killers, aged between 14 and 18, were jailed for a combined minimum of 124 years for the attack.

The moving video released today ahead of the one-year anniversary of losing her son, shows Zoey holding her as Dancing in the Sky by Dani and Lizzy played in the background.

Jack Woodley was murdered by ten youths at a funfair (North News & Pictures Ltd northnews.co.uk)

She was heard singing along to the poignant words: "I hope you're dancing in the sky, and I hope you're singing in the angel's choir.

"And I hope the angels know what they have. I'll bet it's so nice up in Heaven since you arrived. Since you arrived."

Zoey, 35, has released the video to mark the anniversary of Jack's death as part of her ongoing campaign to raise awareness of knife crime.

She said: "I want people to see what we have had to go through as a family and what the effects are.

Zoey McGill shared this video near the anniversary of her son's death (North News & Pictures northnews.co.uk)

"They just don't get it until it is too late. I think the only thing that is going to get through to kids seeing the victim.

"I don't think anything else going to go in."

Jack was walking with his girlfriend to the bus stop after leaving a funfair when he got into an altercation.

Jack, originally from Newton Aycliffe, Durham, was found near the Britannia Inn, in Houghton-le-Spring, and was rushed to hospital but died the following day.

The jury told he was punched, kicked, stamped on, and stabbed with a 25cm "Rambo style" knife during the attack on October 16.

Witnesses described how Jack was "isolated" by a mob who were "like zombies attacking an animal" in a case one legal expert says could be the first of its kind in the UK.

Zoey McGill shared some of her final moments with Jack Woodley (North News & Pictures northnews.co.uk)

Prosecutors said the group had gone out "looking for serious trouble that day" and tried to "create conflict" with Mr Woodley at the festival as they "looked for any excuse to attack someone".

Nine of the youths, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had denied murder and manslaughter.

One pleaded guilty to manslaughter, admitting he stabbed Mr Woodley but denying he intended to kill him, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

At the start of the trial in March, prosecutor Mark McKone QC said that while only one youth stabbed Mr Woodley, the other nine were guilty due to "the concept of joint enterprise".

A jury convicted all 10 defendants of murder in June.

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