Star comment: Mother's courage on knives
The mother of Oswestry stabbing victim Danny Jones has shown great courage and fortitude by launching a campaign against knives.
Lisa McNeil knows better than anyone the devastation that knives can cause, having lost her beloved son.
While his killer, Richard Reece, is detained at Her Majesty's pleasure for the senseless manslaughter, she has decided to take positive action.
Ms McNeil is determined that her son should not die in vain and has launched a campaign to eradicate knives.
She is working with the British Ironwork Centre, at Oswestry, which will refashion knives into an angel.
It will be a poignant and fitting tribute to Danny.
The details of 21-year-old Danny's sad death are instructive to any person who thinks that carrying a knife is sensible or cool. It is not.
Danny had spent the evening of his death drinking with his friend, Reece. A friendly evening turned sour as the two started to argue. A fight ensued and Reece ran home, emerging seconds later with a replica short sword.
In the struggle that followed, Danny was stabbed once and the wound proved fatal.
After Reece's trial at Birmingham Crown Court, Det Insp Steve Tonks said the incident demonstrated that the carrying of knives and other bladed weapons ran the huge risk of creating a set of tragic consequences.
Everyone associated with the tragic incident now faces a lifetime of sorrow and regret.
Danny's family will never see him again and his young son will never get to meet his father.
Danny's death was a tragic and senseless waste. There were no winners, only losers.
Ms McNeil's actions in doing something positive are laudable. She has followed in the footsteps of others who have campaigned for a change.
If she is able to spare a single family from the overwhelming grief that she has experienced, her efforts will have been worthwhile.
The very act of launching a campaign can only have a positive effect. It will raise awareness that the foolish actions that knife carriers are capable of in a moment of anger lead to a lifetime of recrimination and regret.
There is never any reason to carry a knife.
An angel will emerge, thanks to the skilled craftsmen at the British Ironwork Centre, and Danny's legacy will be a safer and less violent world.
