‘Government should get tough on knife crime’
BARNABY Webber’s mother made an impassioned plea over knife crime as the Knife Angel sculpture arrived in Taunton town centre.
Barnaby was just 19 when he was stabbed in Nottingham in June last year.
Emma Webber addressed a crowd of more than 100 people outside the Market House in Taunton to mark the arrival of the touring Knife Angel sculpture, which will be there until April 30.
The statue, which aims to raise awareness of the negative effects of violence and aggression, is 27 feet tall, weighs 3.5 tonnes and is made from 100,000 knives and blades from amnesty bins from all 43 UK police forces.
Mrs Webber paid tribute to her son, saying: “In some cultures, it’s said the spirits of those who’ve passed come on the wind, and in true fashion it’s blowing a proper hoolie today – thank you, Barney.
“Barnaby Philip John Webber was a Taunton boy. He went to nursery here, he went to school here, he learned to drive here, he played cricket here, he had his first job here and even his first serious girlfriend.
“His life was lost, his future was stolen and alongside that our hearts were broken by a senseless, cruel, premeditated knife attack at 4.40am on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.
“Why? I’m sure that’s a question asked by the very many people who are struggling and suffering, just as we are, as victims of knife crime.
“Why him? He wasn’t dealing drugs, he wasn’t involved in gangs or in any form of altercation. He and his beautiful friend Grace were just walking home from a fun night out, celebrating the very last week of their first year of study.
“They were just walking home – in fact, they were less than three minutes away from the safety of Barney’s student accommodation when they were attacked.”
Mrs Webber – who cofounded the Barnaby Webber Foundation in her son’s memory – described her son’s killer as “a monster” and urged the Government to get tougher on knife crime.
“Why is the epidemic of knife crime in this country not being properly addressed? If you carry a knife in England and Wales, and you happen to be caught with it, it is very unlikely you will receive anything more than a stern warning and hopefully your weapon may be confiscated.
“If you’re caught with an unlicensed gun, however, you’re more than likely to be arrested and charged for carrying a lethal weapon. Gun crime equates to 4.9% of homicides in England and Wales, and knife crime equates to 41%.
“I’m not a mathematician, a policeman, a legal expert or a politician – I’m just a grieving mum. But it’s crystal clear to me that this very, very serious problem, that’s not going to go away, is only going to get worse.
“Knives, when carried and used inappropriately, must be classed as a lethal weapon. There must be stronger and more stringent rules and laws introduced, including a widening of stop and search powers.
“We must find a way to denormalise the carrying of them. We must find a clear deterrent.
“244 people died in England and Wales last year from knife crime. If we could deter just 10% of these, then 24 people would still be with us today and three of those may even be Barnaby, Grace and Ian.”