London knife deaths: Mums tell of hardest calls after sons stabbed

Five mothers have relived the 'hardest' phone calls they each had to make after their sons were stabbed to death - in a bid to urge Londoners to speak up about knife crime.

They have shared their stories as part of a Hard Calls Save Lives campaign, which has been launched by the Met Police.

The Met say the campaign is particularly aimed at encouraging mothers, sisters or aunts, whose children, siblings, nephews or nieces may be on the fringes of knife crime to make a report if they know someone who carries a weapon or where one has been hidden.

Short films of the five mothers' stories have been released, along with adverts on radio, websites and social media, and Met commissioner Dame Cressida Dick hopes their "tragic accounts" will encourage people to call the Crimestoppers charity anonymously.

'I called a stranger about getting my son embalmed'

Becky Beston is campaigning for a change in the law around people convicted for knife crime offences

Archie Beston had been on a night out with friends in Kingston in February 2020 when he was stabbed to death by a man described in court as a habitual knife carrier.

On the night he was attacked, a van was deliberately driven towards the 19-year-old and another teenager outside the John Lewis store in the early hours of 29 February.

In the aftermath, Archie was knifed in the heart by Tyrone Bryan, who was later convicted of manslaughter.

Archie Beston, from Barnes in south-west London, died five days after being stabbed

His mother, Becky Beston, is campaigning for whole-life sentences for anyone convicted of killing with a knife and an automatic five-year term for possession.

As part of the Met's initiative, she describes having to make a call about having Archie embalmed.

"You should never have to use those words with your son's name. Ever," she said.

'I was out of breath making the call'

Pastor Lorraine Jones has continued to run a boxing club her son began to keep young people out of gangs

In February 2014, Pastor Lorraine Jones was unpacking shopping at home in Angel Town, Brixton, when two boys came to her door to tell her that her son, Dwayne Simpson, had been stabbed.

Directed to a local park, Lorraine ran over to her 17-year-old son, who had been trying to save a friend's life moments before being fatally wounded himself.

"I'd just come back from a busy day when the door rang," she recalls.

"It was like I was in another world. I felt lost."

Stabbing victim Dwayne Simpson made a video about the dangers of life in gangs

The knife had gone right through the Dwayne's chest. He was rushed to hospital but later died from his injuries.

"I had to call my mum," Lorraine said. "It was the hardest call - I was out of breath and my stomach was tight.

"Even when I was making a call my hands were shaking. I tried it three times, I was just so helpless and weak.

"I had 20 wonderful years with him, and really good memories. But I didn't realise the impact he had until he passed away."

'My son was murdered outside his school'

Lillian Serunkuma's two-year-old grandson survived being shot while in a car in Willesden in 2020

In January 2017, Quamari Serunkuma-Barnes was chased and stabbed three times outside Capital City Academy in Willesden.

The 15-year-old was well liked among his peers and was in the latter stages of preparing for his GCSEs.

He died at the scene and a teenage boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was later convicted of Quamari's murder.

Quamari Serunkuma-Barnes and his mother Lillian Serunkuma

Lillian Serunkuma recollects calling her aunt to let her know he had been stabbed.

"She just screamed," Lillian said. "That was the hardest thing about that day.

"It can be hard to make the call to say someone is involved in knife crime, especially if it's someone you know or love. But it's so much harder if you don't.

"It's almost as bad to lose a child or a friend to prison as it is to lose them if they're killed. Either way, they're going to suffer as a result of knife crime."

'My son was stolen from us'

Yvonne Lawson set up the Godwin Lawson Foundation after her son was killed

In March 2010, Godwin Lawson went to help one of his childhood friends, who had been attacked in Stamford Hill.

The 17-year-old was stabbed twice in the chest by Moise Avorgah, who was later convicted of Godwin's murder.

In the days after his death, Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson wrote to Godwin's family offering his sympathies.

Godwin Lawson had dreams of playing for Manchester United

His mother, Yvonne Lawson, remembers ringing her sister to break the tragic news to here.

She said: "I just kept repeating 'died, died, died'. Godwin was stolen away from us in such a terrible way.

"My family is broken into pieces, just missing him. We didn't even get a chance to say goodbye, and he's never going to be there, he's never going to be part of us anymore. The least we can do is use his memory to change lives."

'Christopher was never going to call back'

Jean Foster said her son Christopher was 'a well loved man'

On 29 November, 2010, Christopher Foster was set on by a group of hooded men with bats and a knife as he enjoyed a last drink outside St Christopher's Inn in Borough High Street.

After he was stabbed, he staggered inside the pub and collapsed. He died later in hospital.

The gang wrongly believed the 34-year-old was a man they believed responsible for an attack on the cousin of Christopher's murderer Aytach Lisani.

Christopher Foster was fatally stabbed in an alleyway outside St Christopher's Inn

Upon hearing the news that her son had been stabbed, his mother Jean Foster frantically tried to get in touch with him.

"We called nine or 10 times," she said. "Slowly, we came to the realisation that he was never going to call back.

"People may think that keeping quiet keeps you out of their focus, but it empowers them.

"No one is safe if we keep quiet."