‘Harry’s killers took our destroyed us all, we will
THE mum and dad of teenage murder victim Harry Baker yesterday provided a harrowing account of how their son’s killing at the hands of a vicious gang had “destroyed” their family.
The killers sat in court as the heartbreaking details of the couple’s devastation were read out.
Mum Emma Baker said she had taken the brave decision to read out her victim impact statement in front of the seven people who had taken her 17-year-old son’s life because it was “one of the last things I can do for Harry, which is to be his mum and show how much he was loved”.
Mrs Baker had had to listen in court to descriptions of her son being found bloodied, stripped and covered in stab wounds after being chased through the streets into a compound, where he was savagely killed.
She told the court: “They took a normal family of four and destroyed us all.”
In a second heartbreaking statement, his distraught father, Peter, described how living without Harry “seems impossible”.
Mrs Baker, a hairdresser from Cardiff, said: “To lose a child under any circumstances is a parent’s worst nightmare but to lose your child in such traumatic and violent circumstances is too hard to bear. The overwhelming feelings of pain and grief we feel as a family will be with us for the rest of our lives.
“We were a normal family with normal structured lives, Peter and I worked whilst bringing up Harry and his brother, Alfie. They were close in age and got on so well. We ate meals together, went on family holidays and spent time together like any normal family would do.
“Peter and I were not prepared for the change in Harry’s behaviour at the age of 16. He found a different life with different friends and we felt powerless to change things, however hard we tried.
“We tried to keep him close, he went to work with Peter during the days, which helped and kept him away from the different group of friends he seemed to be bothering with. We were aware that Harry was involved in a world of drugs but never imagined just how deeply involved he was.
“In the days leading up to his death Harry did not come home and we knew he was in trouble. We tried all we could to keep him safe, phoning the police and frantically contacting friends and family, desperately trying to bring him back to us.
“On August 28, 2019, whilst frantically trying to find Harry, I read a post [online] about a man’s body being found in Barry Dock. Initially my heart sank, but when I re-read it, I was relieved as it said ‘man.’ Harry would never be described as a man, he is 17, he is a child, they would not have written ‘man’ if it was him.
“‘Hi love, me again, hope you’re OK, I’m so worried about you. Wish you would get in touch when you read these messages. Just know that we’re all here for you, there’s nothing that can’t be made better by getting together and speaking to us. Love you, Harry – miss you.’
“This is the last message I ever sent to Harry. Unbeknown to me, at the time of sending Harry was already gone. A few minutes later two police officers knocked at the door. I can remember the feeling of panic I had when I asked them, ‘Is it bad?’ and the officer replied, ‘The worst. Can we come in?.’ Those words will haunt me for life.
“I heard Peter scream and Alfie came running out, asking, ‘What’s wrong?.’ I said, ‘It’s Harry, he’s gone.’ Alfie fell into my arms sobbing, saying, ‘My brother, my brother.’ Peter was hysterical and I did not know how to comfort them both whilst trying to process this devastating news myself.
“I was in shock as the officers tried to explain what had happened. I can remember firing many questions at them, trying to make sense of it all. How did it happen? How do you know it is Harry? Can I see him? Where is he?
“I was told my son had been stabbed and his body was resting at the Heath Hospital, where I could go and see him the following day. I just couldn’t process what I was being told and the rest of the night was a fog of pain, fear, shock and disbelief.”
Mrs Baker was taken to see her son’s body in the mortuary the next day, and continued to visit her son regularly to feel close to him. But she was robbed of that comfort when the visits had to stop after the defendants requested that a further post-mortem examination be carried out.
She added: “We realise that no sentence given to those so-called men will ever be enough to bring Harry back to us. I feel numb but also fearless, as I know nothing will ever hurt me more than losing my child.
“Knowing they will be in prison for many years and unable to put another family through what they have put us through is some comfort. We think [about] what has happened 24 hours a day; maybe they will be haunted by what they did that night also, as we are as a family.
“For me, our lives were taken on the night that Harry died. Not only did they take Harry’s, but they also took mine, Peter’s and Alfie’s. They took a normal family of four and destroyed us all.
“He had a beautiful send-off and burial in our local church. I helped carry his casket into the church and to his resting-place. I felt that as his mum who had carried him for nine months and brought him into the world, carrying him to his resting-place was something I had to do also.
“We visit him there and talk to him all the time. Sometimes I find this comforting, but there are other times when knowing my child is buried in the ground beneath me is too heartwrenching to comprehend.
“Our everyday lives will never be the same again, such as shopping for both Harry and Alfie, preparing meals, going on holidays and washing clothes. There will always be a place missing at the dinner table, one less plane seat to book and one less pile of washing to pick up. Every time I walk past Harry’s bedroom door and see his bed unslept in, it hurts like nothing I’ve ever felt before in my life.”
Reflecting on the loss of her son, Mrs Baker said: “Sadly, we seem to live in a society where being involved with drugs is glamorised and too acceptable, especially with the younger generation. Harry somehow got sucked into that lifestyle and could not find a way out.
“He was only 17 years old and if given the chance, may have learnt from his mistakes and gone on to make something of his life.
“This is something we will never know, we won’t get to see him grow up, get married and have children of his own, all the things you want for your child. This opportunity was taken away from him and us.”
The words of Harry Baker’s father, Peter, who owns a carpet business, were yesterday read out to the court by junior barrister James Wilson.
He said: “On August 28, 2019, my
life changed forever. I have always been a hands-on dad, taking my boys, Harry and Alfie, everywhere I went.
“We enjoyed so much together from motorbikes, jet-skiing, kayaking and bike rides. It saddens me that I can no longer experience such moments with Harry again.
“When Harry left school he came to work with me. I took him under my wing as he learnt to become a carpet fitter in my business. He took great pride in his work, and had he not been pulled into the world he entered shortly before his cruel death, I know he was capable of becoming a success in life.
“Emma and I tried so hard to keep him away from falling into the trap of criminality. We brought him up to be polite and respectful of others so it broke our hearts that he fell off the tracks at the age of 16 just as it seemed he was starting out in life after school, working for my business.
“My work takes me on the road every day meeting customers in their homes. It took me 10 weeks before I was able to return to work properly. I was lucky that I had the support of my staff, who kept the business running whilst I was away, but ultimately I had no choice but to return to work in order to provide for my family.
“I found myself crying in front of customers at their homes as they offered their condolences. There was no escaping the flood of emotions and grief as I kept thinking of Harry, knowing he was not coming home and gone forever aged only 17. Being on the road a lot, I normally listen to music, but I found myself unable to do it. In the early weeks and months after Harry died I would just find myself crying in my van each day.
“My health suffered due to the stress I was experiencing in the early months after Harry’s death and I was admitted to hospital twice with a heart condition and kept in for a week on one of those occasions. This was deeply distressing for Emma, Alfie and myself when all I wanted to do is be with them as we still tried coming to terms with our loss.
“I found myself unable to look at photos of Harry as it was too upsetting. A few months after his death should have been a special time for us as we were due to celebrate his 18th birthday. Instead I had to spend his 18th at his grave with family and friends. A month after his 18th, we had to spend Christmas without Harry.
“I still cry every day and I no longer feel like socialising or feeling any kind of happiness. Just carrying out a food shop hits me as I walk through the aisles and see the foods that Harry enjoyed, knowing I will not ever buy them again. I sense as I attend shops people are looking at me with pity in their eyes.
“When I think of all the happy memories of Harry, of which there are so many, I just break down crying uncontrollably. Living without Harry seems impossible but I have to be strong for Emma and Alfie. I’m scared that when I’m older I will be sitting and thinking of how my little boy was taken from me and that the pain will never go away.
“I keep thinking that it’s not real and asking myself, ‘where is Harry?.’ I look out of my bedroom at night when going to bed and expect to see him coming home. When I walk past his bedroom and I look in and cry, knowing Harry will never sleep there again.
“We moved house before Harry was taken and it was like a building site at first as we totally changed the house. Harry had lots of positive ideas for the house. The house is now finished and it breaks my heart that Harry never got the chance to see his ideas materialised and enjoy living in our new family home.
“I don’t understand why he was murdered. I keep thinking how scared he must have felt, as his killers hunted him down like a pack of wolves, viciously attacked and left all alone dying in the dock area, stripped of his clothing by his cold killers.
“It feels like I don’t have a life anymore and instead I am just existing. I go to the gym, then work, home and bed. It feels like there is nothing to look forward to anymore. Before Harry died as a family we did so much and our house was full of laughter and love. Poor Alfie has lost his big brother and Emma and I now worry about how this will impact on Alfie as he navigates life ahead.
“Seeing his attackers in court showing no remorse makes me so angry and eats me up inside. They have no idea what pain and destruction they have caused, and for what?
“Listening to the evidence at court has been so hard. Emma and I were unable to watch the CCTV footage as it’s too haunting to think of our Harry being chased and cornered, let alone watch it play out on a TV monitor.
“Whilst receiving justice is important in seeking some closure, seeing that his killers are behind bars for a long time, it will not bring Harry back to us. They will have the chance to carry on living whilst we must try to accept that Harry is gone forever.”