Harley Barfield's father: 'I can't believe my son is gone'

Harley was initially taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital for treatment, before being transferred to the Royal Papworth Hospital

A father of a murdered teenager has described the moment he was told his son had been stabbed and frantic life-saving attempts were under way.

Harley Barfield, 16, was set upon in Haverhill, Suffolk, on 9 January and died two days later.

"I just can't believe he's gone - I want him back every day," Darryl Barfield told the BBC.

His killer, who is 17, was sentenced to life on Tuesday for murder and told he must serve at least 17 years.

He recalled taking a frantic phone call from Harley's mother after their son had been attacked.

Darryl Barfield said he struggled to sleep while waiting for the jury to return its verdict

"My ex-wife, Bernice, phones me up in hysterics," he said.

"I said 'Calm down, calm down - what's wrong?'

"She couldn't speak to me and she passed me on to a police officer, and he told me what had happened.

"He said they were doing open heart surgery in the car park."

Harley's friends, a parent and paramedics battled to save him in a car park near Strasbourg Square

Police swiftly made arrangements to take Mr Barfield, who is 51 and lives in Lowestoft, to the specialist heart hospital in Cambridge that battled to save Harley.

"I knew it was bad because they blue-lighted me to Papworth Hospital," he said.

"No-one could see him at first because they were doing surgery on him.

"That lasted seven hours, then we were finally allowed to see him late that night, or the early hours of the next morning.

"When I saw him, I just knew he wasn't going to make it."

Harley then returned to the operating theatre for further major surgery lasting "all day".

Harley Barfield enjoyed swimming, visits to the skate park and football chat with his dad

Mr Barfield said he always made sure to "never forget" to tell his two sons he loved them, and that those were the last words he said to Harley before life support was withdrawn on 11 January.

"The surgeon said 'Get all your family to say your final goodbyes to him,'" he said.

"No child should ever go before their father.

"It should have been me; if I was there, I would've taken that knife for him.

"It's only my son and my partner that keep me going."

The Knife Angel sculpture was created by artist Alfie Bradley from over 100.000 knives obtained from knife amnesties and weapons seized by British police forces

Speaking about the impact of the month-long trial, which ended in November, Mr Barfield said it had left him a "broken man".

Harley's killer, who cannot be named because of his age, denied murder.

The prosecution at Ipswich Crown Court told the jury the schoolboy had become obsessed with an ex-girlfriend and saw Harley as an obstacle to winning her back.

His defence team claimed he was not "lying in wait" for Harley, but was coincidentally at the same location when a fight broke out.

He was found guilty on 10 November and sentenced at the same court.

Mr Barfield said he had now made it his mission to dissuade other young people from carrying knives.

Mr Barfield, pictured with Harley as a young boy, described his son as his "mini-me"

Mr Barfield, who has a number of criminal convictions, admitted he "used to hate the police".

He said: "When the guilty verdict came in, after we spoke in the room, I shook both their hands and said 'Look, I've got faith in the police now - I promise you won't see me in front of another charge desk getting charged with anything for the rest of my dying days'," he said.

"I might not have been the best person in the world, but who is? But one thing I would say is I was a good father to my two boys."

With the help of his partner Clare, he has arranged for the 27ft (8.2m) Knife Angel sculpture - designed to provoke conversation about knife crime - to be erected in Haverhill for a month next year.

"I think it's going to be an interesting journey - the hardest journey of my life," he said.

"I think Harley wouldn't be able to believe I've done this for him.

"Don't carry knives - it took my son."

Remembering Harley, he said he was "kind, polite, caring and loyal".

"He had a heart of gold; he'd do anything for anyone," he added.

"He's still with me every time I look in the mirror - I see him. I love him very, very much."

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