Family releases ‘shocking’ footage of son’s murder to show reality of knife crime

Britain’s most wanted man jailed for life for stabbing 21-year-old in bar before going on the run in Europe

THE family of a murder victim requested the release of graphic footage of their son being stabbed to death to bring home the reality of knife crime.

Josh Hanson, 21, was slashed in the neck by Shane O’brien at a bar in west London in October 2015.

O’brien then “calmly” walked away, leaving his victim to die in front of his friends and girlfriend.

Yesterday, O’brien, who was Britain’s most wanted man after going on the run for more than three years, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 26 years after a jury took 55 minutes to find him guilty of murder.

During his trial at the Old Bailey, jurors were shown the footage of the attack on Mr Hanson, which was filmed by CCTV cameras. It is believed to be among the most graphic films of a knife attack released to the public.

Mr Hanson’s family insisted that the footage of the murder at the RE Bar, in Hillingdon, west London, be released to warn of the futility of knife crime.

Dame Vera Baird, the Victims’ Commissioner, said the family’s ordeal had been made “all the worse by having to wait so long” for justice, but welcomed the decision to release the footage.

“We support victims of serious crime being consulted and to be offered as many choices as possible so as to help them to deal with the aftermath,” she said.

The Metropolitan Police said it had decided to release the footage to honour the family’s wishes.

“It’s not something we normally do and we gave it careful consideration,” a spokesman said. “Ultimately however Josh’s family felt strongly the general public should see the shocking attack on Josh and fully understand what happened and how this has impacted upon their lives.”

Tracey and Brooke Hanson, the victim’s mother and sister, said they were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Speaking in court, they announced the establishment of the Josh Hanson Trust, a charity that aims to combat knife crime.

“If we can save just one life, keep one son by his mother’s side, we will have made the world a more peaceful place,” Tracey Hanson said.

The footage shows Mr Hanson clutching his throat and stumbling, as blood pours from a large wound.

Following the attack, O’brien asked a friend to secure a chartered plane to take him to the Netherlands. He grew long hair and a beard and used false identity documents to travel across Europe. Friends helped him to lay low.

Despite being arrested for assault in Prague in 2017, he slipped through the net after using an alias to flee while on bail. He was eventually extradited from Romania last April.