Knife crime: 'I fear for my son', says brother of stabbed man

The brother of a man who was stabbed to death says he fears for his young son amid a rise in the number of people being convicted of carrying knives.

Daniel Maddocks' brother Craig died after being stabbed 52 times in Wrexham in June 2013.

New figures show cautions and sentences for knife and offensive weapon offences in Wales last year reached their highest level since 2011.

The UK government said it was "determined to turn the tide".

Ministry of Justice figures show an increase of 30% in the number of cautions and sentences in Wales since 2014.

In the year until the end of September 2019, police forces in Wales dealt with more than 1,000 cases.

Mr Maddocks, 36, from Wrexham, volunteers as a coach at Buckley Amateur Boxing Club, and works alongside North Wales Police going into schools to talk to children about the consequences of carrying a knife.

"You can tell it sinks in because it comes from someone who's been affected... it's not just losing my brother, it's the effect on the whole family."

Mr Maddocks said he still lives with the pain of losing his brother and has experienced anxiety and depression.

Craig (L) and Daniel (R) Maddocks with their mother

"I fear for my young lad to be thinking that there's a knife in his bag and he's going to school.

"I know it sounds bad, but it's getting younger and younger."

But Mr Maddocks said you cannot keep "blaming the kids... it's the adults as well."

Craig's killer Francisco John Prevete was 46 when he was found guilty in 2014 of carrying out the attack at The Cambrian Vaults pub in Wrexham.

At the time of sentencing, Judge Mr Justice Jeremy Baker described the attack as "brutal and ferocious".

'Why, why, why?'

"I still have my phone thinking he's going to phone me on Friday and see if we want to go to the gym, but that doesn't happen."

Craig was a professional boxer and the brothers would regularly train together.

"It's where Craig used to live, seven days a week in the gym, gloves on."

Mr Maddocks said he spoke to his brother the night he was killed. Craig had phoned to see if he wanted to "go for a pint".

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"Then about 03:00 or 04:00 in the morning, I had my dad and uncle banging on my window, I dived out of bed and they told me my brother had been stabbed to death.

"I was just thinking 'why, why, why', because Craig wouldn't go out looking for a fight, it was always 'keep it in the ring', but when he got attacked with a knife, it's a different story.

Daniel Maddocks volunteers as a coach at Buckley Amateur Boxing Club

"Coming to the gym and helping others, doing a bit myself helps keep my mind off it, that's what my brother would have wanted.

"Everyone used to say we looked like twins, but Craig was a lot older than me, it was like having a mate but a brother."

Wales police force figures

South Wales Police recorded the most number of cases at 506, but Dyfed-Powys Police saw the biggest increase.

They had 166 cases in 2019 compared to 121 in 2018, an increase of 37%.

North Wales Police had 225, their biggest number of cases since 2015.

Gwent Police dealt with their highest number of cases since 2012, with 170 cautions or sentences.

Cindy Burke, whose son Anthony died on Christmas Eve 2009 after being stabbed, said the figures were "terrifying".

He was killed aged 20 by Oliver Taylor, then 19, of Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, who claimed he was trying to "scare away" a group of men who were having a snowball fight in the street.

Taylor stabbed Mr Burke on 23 December 2009 and he died in hospital the next day. Taylor was jailed for life for murder in April 2010.

Ms Burke, 62, said: "It's terrifying, you don't know what anyone is carrying anymore.

"I don't think there is any message, it needs to come from higher up - they need punishment, it's getting out of hand."

Anthony Burke died in hospital after he was stabbed before Christmas

She said she has struggled since the death of her son: "It's awful, I'm just existing, you can't call it living.

"I fear for my little granddaughter growing up, with the drugs and knife crime.

"Not until you're in this position that you see what it's really like - it opens your eyes."

Justice Minister Chris Philp said: "We are recruiting 20,000 more police officers, extending stop and search and making sure the most violent offenders spend longer behind bars.

"These figures should serve as a stark warning to those carrying knives - you are more likely to be jailed, and for longer, than at any point in the last decade."