Mum of murdered man fights for new law

Tracey Hanson says victims and their families should have rights that are just as strong as those afforded to defendants

The mother of a man who was murdered 10 years ago says she is determined to see the law changed to give victims' families more rights.

Tracey Hanson, from Bedfordshire, says she was not originally told about her right to challenge the sentence handed down to her son's killer.

Shane O'Brien was given a life sentence for stabbing Jason Hanson, 21, in London and told he had to serve at least 26 years.

Ms Hanson said victims should be afforded similar rights to appeal sentencing decisions as those available to defendants.

Tracey Hanson says she is fighting for families in memory of Josh

Ten years on, it is still not clear what made Shane O'Brien stab Josh Hanson, who he did not know, in the RE Bar in Eastcote, west London.

He cut through his victim's ear, severed his windpipe and left him to suffocate.

Ms Hanson was told about the attack by her sister in the middle of the night, and hurried to the bar where she was given the devastating news that her son had died.

She asked to see her son's body but was told she could not.

Josh Hanson was just 21 when he died

She said: "That meant I had to leave the scene knowing that my son was lying on the floor.

"To me, that was inhumane."

Ms Hanson returned to the bar on the following morning and was allowed to touch the blanket covering her son.

She said she felt for a heartbeat, hoping the medics might have made a mistake.

O'Brien fled the country and a £50,000 reward was offered for information leading to his capture.

Dubbed "Britain's most wanted man", he was tracked down to Romania and arrested in 2019.

Tracey Hanson watched O'Brien's trial at the Old Bailey and was shocked when the judge ordered him to serve at least 26 years of his life sentence.

She said: "The starting point for murder is 25 years, and to just receive one year on top was an absolute insult, and I just thought: 'really?'"

Ms Hanson was not informed that she could appeal the sentence on the grounds of undue leniency. When she eventually found out, her application was rejected because it was received out of office hours on the final day of the 28-day deadline.

Josh (left) lived with his mother, Tracey, and sister, Brooke

Ever since that day, Ms Hanson has been campaigning for Josh's Law, which would require information on appealing a sentence to be given to families at the point of sentencing.

She believes the system is weighted against victims, noting that offenders are told they can appeal within 28 days, and that deadline can be extended in exceptional circumstances.

To improve support for victims and their families, Ms Hanson established a trust in Josh's name and has given evidence to Parliament.

"I've never asked to take away anything from the offender," she said.

"It's just to have equal rights - victims and offenders should be treated the same."

The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment.