Brooke: “Ben’s death was tragic and pointless”

Ten years after the death of Ben Kinsella, Closer speaks to his sister, Brooke, as the number of stabbings in the UK continues to rise at an appalling rate

Celebrating the end of his GCSES in a local bar, Ben Kinsella had a bright future ahead of him. But tragically, as he made his way home from the party in London on 29 June 2008, the 16 year old was brutally stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack.

His sister, former Eastenders actress Brooke, 35, helped set up knife crime charity The Ben Kinsella Trust in his memory.

She says, “Ben’s death was tragic and pointless. Now, every time I pick up a newspaper and see that another person has been stabbed, it breaks my heart. It’s been ten years since I lost my little brother and I desperately hoped that knife crime would become less of an issue. But now, if anything, it’s worse.

STABBED 11 TIMES

“I don’t want there to be mass panic or say there’s an epidemic but it can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. We need to educate people before it’s too late.”

In 2017, knife crime rose by a worrying 22 per cent across England and Wales – the biggest annual increase ever recorded. On top of this, in the first four months of this year, 35 people were stabbed to death in London – including eight teenagers. And last month alone, it was revealed that machete attacks were taking place every 90 minutes on our streets – with 425 in London, 99 in Greater Manchester and 77 in the West Midlands.

A National Police Chiefs’ Council spokeswoman said, “The causes and drivers of violent crime are complex, and so the solutions must involve a range of action from government, education, health, social services, housing, youth services and victim services. Policing has a pivotal role in targeting hotspots, using our powers of stop and search and pursuing the links to drugs and organised crime. Early intervention and prevention to steer young people away from crime and putting in place measures to tackle the root causes are absolutely crucial.”

Brooke’s brother was stabbed 11 times by three teenagers, Jade Braithwaite, then 19, Juress Kika, 18, and Michael Alleyne, also 18, who were later sentenced to life in prison. She says, “It feels like it was only yesterday that Ben died. Yet at the same time, it feels like forever since I’ve seen my little brother. I’m not going to pretend that Ben was a saint – he was a 16-year-old boy, so of course there were times when he could be annoying or lazy. But he was lovely, kind and incredibly mature. That gives me peace – as I was able to see a glimpse of the man he would have grown up to be.”

Brooke remembers every detail of the night Ben died.

She says, “I was home alone and in bed when the house phone started ringing at 2.30am. It was my sister Jade and she was sobbing and screaming that Ben had been stabbed. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and rushed straight to hospital with my brother, Christopher, while my parents drove back from their holiday home with my younger sister, Georgia.

“In the hospital, when we were told that Ben had died, I sank to the floor, my legs unable to hold the grief. I just wanted to take him home with us. Instead, the only thing we had left of him when we returned home that Sunday were the ‘Ben-shaped’ dents in the living-room cushions where he always sat.”

Now Brooke says that every time someone falls victim to knife crime, all those memories come flooding back. She explains, “The first year after Ben’s death was a blur – I was stuck in a world of pain. And even after ten years, I still struggle to process what happened. It makes me very sad and scared to see that these

attacks are still on the rise – I’m devastated for every life lost. I know exactly how the family and friends of the victims feel.”

LIVING IN POVERTY

However, the actress explains that perpetrators don’t think about the impact of their crime on others. She says, “There’s no magic answer as to why knife crime is on the rise. Of course, social media and government cuts all contribute – but I believe it’s a societal problem. Often the perpetrators don’t value their own lives enough to care about anybody else’s. They usually live in poverty, or are involved in drugs and don’t see a future for themselves, so they don’t care if they go to prison.”

As a result, Brooke says we need to focus on education.

She explains, “It’s about prevention rather than cure. We have sex education and drugs education, but we need to have it for knives, too. Young people need to learn about the consequences of knife crime – both for themselves and other people. And if that stops just one teenager from carrying a knife then it’s a worthwhile cause.” As the 10th anniversary of Ben’s death approaches, his family are planning a memorial service and have also ❜ launched the 10 For Ben campaign – where they are encouraging people to do ten acts of kindness in his memory. Brooke says, “One day, I hope we can drastically reduce knife crime. After his death, I wanted to create a legacy for Ben, hopefully we’re doing him proud.”

❛IT MAKES ME SAD & SCARED TO SEE THAT THESE ATTACKS ARE STILL ON THE RISE

● To get involved with the 10 For Ben campaign, or to donate to The Ben Kinsella Trust, visit Benkinsella.org.uk