A mum whose son was stabbed to death in London has urged Mayor Sadiq Khan to support her fight for tougher knife crime sentencing.
Becky Beston is calling for action as England and Wales face their worst year for teenage knife killings, with 30 youngsters stabbed to death in 2021 so far.
Becky’s only son Archie, 19, was attacked outside a club in Kingston, South West London, in February 2020, and died six days later.
After she met Mr Khan at London City Hall, Becky said: “While there is breath in me, I will continue to fight to stop this happening to any other child.”
Her son’s killer Tyrone Bryan, 20, who had two previous convictions for knife crime, was cleared of murder but got 19 years’ jail for manslaughter.
Becky is calling for all those caught with a blade to get an automatic five-year sentence and a life term for anyone using a knife.
Sentences for possession of a knife at present range from a community order to four years’ jail.
Becky, who went to City Hall with supporters and friends of Archie, gave Mr Khan a book compiled in Archie’s memory.
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Mr Khan said: “This is the true cost of senseless violence on our streets, families and communities devastated. I’m committed to work to drive down violence and tackle its underlying causes.
“I will continue to lobby the Sentencing Council to enforce best practice in sentencing.”
Becky said: “I feel the meeting was a success with regards to our next steps in protecting children like my Archie and increasing punishments for the criminals committing these violent acts on our streets.
“People like Bryan have no regard for the law because it has always been on their side. If he had been in prison, Archie would be with me now.”
If teen knife killings in England and Wales continue at their present rate, 51 youngsters will have been stabbed to death by the end of the year.
The previous peak was 48 in 2007.
In 2019, the last year not affected by a fall in violent crime due to lockdowns, 35 youngsters died due to knife crime.
Becky, from Barnes, is now hoping to meet Justice Secretary Robert Buckland and Home Secretary Priti Patel.
She said: “I am demanding that the law be changed. I will not stop until the law is on the side of the innocent and severely punishing the criminals.”
