It’s just too easy to get away with taking lives
OWEN Kerry was stabbed to death on Christmas Eve 2016, aged 19.
Brian Cahill knifed him in the stomach in a social club in Cramlington, Northumberland, and was last year sentenced to serve a minimum of 26 years in jail.
His girlfriend Lyndsey Harper was jailed for 18 years for her role in the “pincer movement” joint attack.
Owen’s uncle Paul, 37, said: “It just absolutely tears you apart, it tears the family apart.
“He was a beautiful, loving young lad, and he had it all taken away from him by a scumbag carrying a knife.
“If someone is willing to carry a knife it means they’re willing to use it.
“So if you’re willing to carry a knife you should be prepared to go straight to jail.
“We need far tougher sentences, we need the initial maximum for being caught with a knife to be more than four years and that sentence then needs to be served in full. Four years should become the new minimum. “It’s too easy for them to get away with it. These people who ruin lives are scum and it could be avoided. “It’s getting worse and worse up here in the North East. They’re taking people’s lives like it’s nothing. “This Government and Theresa May need to listen to what we have to say. We also need more police on our streets – we pay our taxes.” Owen’s dad Keith raced to his dying son’s side when a pal called to tell him of the stabbing. Keith said on the first anniversary of the killing last year: “His last words were ‘Dad are you there?’ I said: ‘Yeah, I’m here son.’ “He opened his eyes and said ‘sweet’ – then shut his eyes.” Mum Rachel, 38, said in December: “Owen was a lovely lad and he didn’t want to go out to cause any trouble, but he just didn’t come home.”