Khayri Mclean: Poverty a golden thread for knife crime, says deputy mayor

Deputy Mayor Alison Lowe oversees crime and policing in West Yorkshire

The Deputy Mayor of West Yorkshire has called for more to be done to tackle the root causes of knife crime after two teenagers were jailed for murder.

Cousins Jovani Harriott, 17, and Jakele Pusey, 15, were given life sentences for killing Khayri McLean, 15, outside a Huddersfield school in 2022.

Alison Lowe told Radio 4's Today programme poverty was "a golden thread" behind much of the UK's knife crime.

She also called for better systems for tackling the issue.

Khayri was fatally stabbed by Harriott and Pusey after being ambushed outside North Huddersfield Trust School on 21 September.

On Thursday, Harriott was sentenced to serve at least 18 years behind bars and Pusey a minimum of 16.

Khayri Mclean died after he was stabbed in Huddersfield in September 2022

Ms Lowe said "more and more" children were carrying knives out of fear for their safety.

"We need to combat it, we need to work better together as a system, but we also need to look at the root causes," she said.

"The areas we're talking about, where Khayri lived, poverty is rife," she said,

"We had children's centres, we have none now.

"We've got high levels of permanent exclusions of children and we've got a cost of living crisis where parents are looking for decisions about food or heating, it's a terrible situation."

Ms Lowe, who is the West Yorkshire Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said that "we've got to work together better as a system".

Jovani Harriott, left, and Jakele Pusey were jailed for life at Leeds Crown Court for Khayri's murder

Also speaking on the Today programme was BBC reporter Annabel Deas who spent time in the Fartown area of Huddersfield where the murder took place.

She interviewed one of the teenagers involved as part of a radio documentary and podcast looking at knife crime.

Ms Deas said she was "completely shocked and devastated" when she heard about Khayri's killing.

"For me having spent a significant amount of time in that particular community one of the real problems is deprivation and also the county lines drug gangs and that's something the parents need to work really closely with the local authorities on," she said.

"Vulnerable teenagers get groomed. People equip them with knives and other things and then they all start carrying knives and it becomes more of a trend.

"It does happen in different areas where there is deprivation, but in this particular area it is rife."

The Home Office said new legislation made it "a legal requirement for agencies to work together to prevent serious violence locally".

"Every life lost to knife crime is one too many. Our thoughts are with Khayri's loved ones," a spokesperson said.

"Since 2019, we have invested £170m into the development of Violence Reduction Units in the 20 areas worst affected by serious violence, focused on tackling its root causes. This is alongside a further £170m to fund additional, targeted police patrols in these areas."

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