Oliver Freckleton: Son's fatal stabbing 'destroyed' family

A father whose son was stabbed to death the day before his birthday said his death had "destroyed" their family and he was now helping tackle knife crime.

Nine people have been charged with the murder of Oliver Freckleton, 19, who died in Burton-upon-Trent on 11 December last year.

His father Rob said he now realised knife crime was a "daily event" and wanted urgent action to stop it.

He has begun working with a charity to help teach children about the dangers.

Mr Freckleton said his son, who had autism, went out with friends the day before his 20th birthday and ended up at a party before they received a phone in the early hours to say "something had happened".

"I had Covid at the time and I was in a bit of shock and my wife and my son went to where it was and when they turned up there was armed police, ambulances and they actually witnessed paramedics trying to resuscitate Oliver," he said.

"I can't put it into words. It's destroyed us."

He said he was pleased to be working with the Street Whyze charity in Staffordshire charity to help educate children and work with agencies to curb the growing problem.

Danny Mondesir, managing director of Streetwise, said knife crime was rising in Burton and East Staffordshire and he wanted to deliver meaningful interventions and "let people that have experience with young people make the agenda".

"[It's] far too easy to obtain a weapon and you question why people need these things," Mr Mondesir said.

"Now is the time for action because if we don't act now with a substantial response to this issue it's going to escalate out of control."

Staffordshire Police say overall, knife crime has increased by 18% with 115 incidents across the whole of the county in the last 12 months.

The demographic of those affected are mainly males aged between 16 to 30.

Mr Freckleton said his message to children mixing in that world would be to realise the dangers, adding that identifying his son in a morgue was a memory that would never leave him.

"On the 12 December this year, I should be celebrating my son's 21st birthday and I would be giving a speech... but the only speech I could give was at his funeral and that's the reality of it."

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