A grieving family watched on in horror as their much-loved son died in front of them.
Nicola Ellison described the heart-wrenching moment she received a call telling her to get to the hospital as her brother Adam had been stabbed. From a "blood curdling scream" to watching doctors try to resuscitate him, Nicola said it was "the most horrendous thing I've ever seen" as she told of how mum Joyce screamed in pain when doctors said nothing more could be done.
Adam was enjoying a night out with friends when he was stabbed in the neck during an altercation with two men on a scrambler bike at Market Place, Prescot. The 29-year-old, died shortly after 2am, on November 4, 2017.
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The killer is yet to face justice but every day since, Adam's heart-broken family have been fighting for justice and closure. Nicola said: "I called my sister and heard her fall out of bed and scream, it was blood curdling. I got to the hospital and all the family were in the room, I was in disbelief, the doctor came in and I remember everyone screaming.
"He said there's nothing more they could do and took us to see him but they were still working on him and we saw all that. He had a tear in his eye that my mum wiped away. You see it on the telly but it's so much more horrific in real life, there were tubes everywhere, blood on the floor, a big gaping wound.
"His eyes were grey not blue, it was the most horrendous thing I'd seen. They said we have to call it and my mum screamed, begging them to do more because he's strong. But he flatlined, it was the worst sound ever, they tried their best, they really did."
That is the reality families face when someone they love is killed. And for Adam's family, the heartache continues as they still fight for justice.
Nicola added: "People say it was five years ago but it was five minutes ago for us. They say he was in the wrong place the wrong time but he wasn't, he was in his home town. It's affected us all, we've all had PTSD, it was traumatic.
"It was horrendous. For him to die that way is unforgivable, I'll never forget what that person did to us, we will fight for justice every day. It's had a ripple effect on his cousins, friends.
"He was our heart, he was so loved. Mum and dad really wanted him, I was a teenager and I was shocked when they said they were pregnant but he was our heart and soul and grew up to be a lovely man. He did so much for charity and touched many people in a positive way.
"That grief will never leave and it's devastating a murderer is on the streets. Who's to say they won't do it again?"
Last week, over 100 dangerous weapons were recovered by police during Operation Sceptre, a national knife crime surrender campaign. In total, 73 weapons were handed in, 544 stop searches were carried out, 30 weapon sweeps and 36 knifes seized during search warrants.
Test purchases were also carried out in local businesses and officers engaged with schools about the dangers of knife crime. But Nicola said more needs to be done.
She said: "It's an epidemic. Having an amnesty is great, but these people carrying out horrific attacks won't be the ones handing them in. There needs to be stricter rules."
Nicola said under 18s should also be stopped and searched as young children are also carrying weapons, as are young girls. She added: "I can't see a way to end it. I don't want to tread on what the police are doing but more needs to be in place.
"People need to just walk away, not engage. Adam was missed by inches by a scrambler and probably said what are you doing and one stab wound and he's gone. Mum and dad were at the side of the road unable to get to him.
"The grief is so bad people can't comprehend. Adam was living a normal life, giving back to society. His bedroom us still exactly how it was, he was a good soul and these rat bags are out there breathing the same air as us.
"Everything was against him that night. To get that call, it's life changing. We didn't want to leave him in hospital. I sang to him because I wanted him to be pain free."
The ADAM Foundation (Achieving Dreams And Memories) set up in Adam's memory continues to campaign against knife crime across Merseyside and supports community initiatives in the Prescot area. Having visited thousands of children in schools across the borough, the committee – Adam’s loved ones – hope to spread the all important message of not to carry a weapon.
Nicola added: "Please look into your heart. Look at our faces, please I beg you to give us anything, any information you can. We've had many signs from him, we all wear his fingerprint around our necks, I'll always have a lock of his hair and I talk to him every night."
Anyone with information can send a message to Merseyside Police on Twitter via @MerPolCC, or call 101, or leave information anonymously with the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org
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