The mums of two young people killed in Merseyside today join together to call for change.
Ava White and Danny Gee-Jamieson's parents, Leeann White and Mandy Jamieson, opened their hearts on the trauma their families have been through since their losses. They have teamed up 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 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.
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Back in 2018, Daniel Gee-Jamieson died after sustaining a fatal stab wound at a park just off Belle Vale Road in Gateacre. As mum Mandy held her son in her arms, Daniel said: "Mum, I just want to go to sleep."
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.
Bravely speaking to the ECHO, the mums have opened up about how they are "living a life sentence" of their own.
"She was so excited"
Ava White was excited to be meeting her friends for the Christmas lights switch-on in Liverpool City Centre as mum Leeann allowed her to stay out later. Leeann said: "Our lives were changed forever.
"I'm going to miss everything with Ava, her 16th, 18th, 21st, her getting married, having children. I don't socialise with anyone anymore, Mia doesn't. We don't see my nieces and nephews.
"We were always a close family, we'd always have our Christmas dinner together but now I just want the day to go."
Leeann said every day knives are being pulled out or used as she said there "needs to be a stronger deterrent". She added: "It's so easy to pick up a knife and take someone's life."
She told the ECHO: "When Ava was killed, I was so surprised that young kids were involved, you don't think of children carrying knives but since I've been doing the talks, I've seen kids as young as eight carrying knives."
Since setting up the Ava White Foundation and raising awareness in her daughter's name, Leeann said: "It makes me feel like she's still here. I'd also be lost without Mandy, she understands everything, more than my friends can. You don't think it will ever happen to you but my inbox is always open."
The foundation has also launched a petition in the hopes of making it a legal requirement to have bleed control kits in all public places. These include trauma dressings, a gauze designed to control haemorrhages, chest seals and dressings for the emergency management of penetrating chest wounds.
Gloves and scissors will also be in the pack as Leann calls for them to be mandatory everywhere. She said: "If these packs were available, Ava would still be here. They need to be mandatory.
"It was one of the first times I've ever let her stay out that late, she was just so excited to get to town but you never expect them not to come home. Especially how her life was taken, it could've been so avoidable."
"He died in my arms"
Mandy Jamieson bravely told the ECHO she has PTSD after her son Danny died in her arms. She said: "Every day is groundhog day, it's exactly the same. We are living a life sentence with no end date.
"The anger is on another level. People say he's been dead four years but how would they cope if it was their child? It can happen to anyone, people need to wake up."
In the wake of her son's death, Mandy 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. She added: "Leeann does the talks too, we need to do them for the parents though because they need to know what their children could do to a family.
"People seem to think their kids won't do anything. I'm a mum of four and if Daniel had done that, I'd know, he wouldn't have got away with it. It's wrong on every level.
"A lot of kids are walking around with knives. It's awful. But we are asking parents to check their children, ask where they are and who they are hanging around with."
Mandy previously said kids are showing off their weapons as she added: "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."
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