Knife crime: Haverhill mum petitions for mandatory jail sentences

Bernice Barfield started the petition following the loss of her son, Harley, who died in January

The mother of a teenage boy who was fatally stabbed in January is petitioning for mandatory jail sentences for the carrying of knives.

Harley Barfield, 16, was attacked in Haverhill, Suffolk, and another youth is awaiting sentencing for his murder.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), knife-enabled crime has risen 5% in the year to March 2023.

Harley's mum, Bernice, hoped a law change could act as a "deterrent and punishment" for those who carry knives.

Her son was attacked in a car park by the killer, who cannot be named because of his age, shortly after the end of school on Monday, 9 January and the trial heard it involved a dispute over a girl.

Harley Barfield was stabbed at least a dozen times during the attack in the car park next to Strasbourg Square

Speaking about the weapon used in the attack, Ms Barfield said it was "an everyday kitchen steak knife used with deadly intent".

"This tragedy is not an isolated incident; it's part of a larger problem that we must address urgently - the issue of knife crime and the lackadaisical attitude towards its prevention and punishment," she said.

"There is currently no mandatory sentence for those caught in possession of a knife.

"My thinking is a mandatory 12-month prison sentence for first-time offenders, increasing for repeat offenders, alongside a mandatory six-month knife awareness course."

'Root causes'

She has started an online petition and it has accrued more than 54,500 signatures in less than a week, with a target of 75,000.

ONS data reveals knife-enabled crime recorded by police forces in England and Wales from March 2022 to March 2023 was 7% lower than pre-coronavirus pandemic levels, but it has been risen again by the 5% figure compared to the previous year.

Knife-enabled threats to kill increased by 24% in the same time period.

A government spokesperson said: "Knife crime tears families apart and we are committed to addressing the root causes of this violence.

"As a result, more knife-carrying criminals and repeat offenders are being given custodial sentences for longer than they were a decade ago following our action to protect the public and make our streets safer."

They confirmed the number of adults receiving custodial sentences for possession of a knife or offensive weapon has increased by almost 20% in the last 10 years.