Jermaine Cools: London's 14-year-old fatal stab victim laid to rest

Jermaine was attacked near West Croydon station, south London, on 18 November and died shortly after admitting himself to hospital

The family of London's youngest fatal stabbing victim last year, 14-year-old Jermaine Cools, have held his funeral and asked for those who loved him not to seek revenge.

Scores of well-wishers packed the Shiloh Church in Thornton Heath, south London, for the teenager's funeral.

His brother, Scott Reynolds, said: "My brother is supposed to be looking up at me, not me looking down at him.

"It's just too much to take."

Jermaine Cools was one of dozens of teenagers stabbed to death in London last year

Scott was one of the pallbearers who carried his brother's coffin into the church, as a song played that had been specially written for Jermaine by his friends.

When Scott first came to stand by the coffin, he was rendered speechless by grief, but he returned later in the service to share his memories of travelling to Scotland and playing football with Jermaine, who he said would often buy him a peanut fudge bar.

He talked about how his brother's sudden death did not feel real, wondering if Jermaine was really in the coffin, and adding: "I didn't want to be here today, I didn't want to see him in a coffin. I really miss him."

Jermaine's coffin was placed back in the hearse after the funeral

Jermaine's cousin, Kadi Phillipsien, supported many of her family as they struggled to share their stories of the boy she said would always "smile for me and give me a big hug".

"He enjoyed every Christmas, parties, birthdays, he couldn't wait for all of us to meet up together," she said. "He meant the world to us."

Senior Met Police officers paid their respects alongside the family

A young girl, described as Jermaine's "soulmate" by his father, talked about how they would tease each other by putting spiders in a cup and chasing around the garden.

She said: "He used to be scared of spiders: you could hear his screams from across the road."

Bishop Danny Bennett urged the congregation to "push back the darkness"

Jermaine's father, Julius Cools, said his son's voice was in his head earlier in the morning, before the funeral, "giving me strength when I feel weak".

Julius stood with senior Met Police officers, including Ch Spt Dave Stringer, as Bishop Danny Bennett asked the congregation to "push back the darkness" blighting the community, and not to seek revenge.

It was a message that was repeated and threaded through readings and memories by many of Jermaine's closest family, including the line: "Do not take revenge, but leave room for God's wrath."

Scriptures were chosen to guide those who loved Jermaine away from seeking vengeance

Safer Neighbourhoods chair Donna Murray-Turner was also given the family's blessing to urge those grieving the loss of Jermaine to "break the wall of silence" around local violence.

"It's time for us to start engaging, not snitching," she said. "Someone somewhere always knows."

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