Shropshire Star

Stab victim's mother: Where’s the justice as killer set to be released?

A mother has insisted justice has not been served and she will never be able to forgive her son’s killer who is set to be released from prison in a matter of weeks.

Published
Danny with his mother Lisa

Danny Jones, from Chirk, was 21 when he died from a single stab wound following a confrontation with 19-year-old Richard Reece in Oswestry in April 2013.

Reece, who stabbed Jones with an ornamental Lord of the Rings sword, was later acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years in prison at Birmingham Crown Court. After serving half of the sentence, Reece will now be released in May.

Danny’s mother Lisa McNeill recently discovered the release date, and feels justice has not been served and Reece should remain behind bars for life. She wants people to know he is being released and she admitted she will never forgive her son’s killer.

She said: “Danny had everything to live for, he was happy, clever, popular and beautiful inside and out, so tell me how is any of this fair?

“If someone takes someone’s life they should serve life. I will never forgive him for what he has done. Danny was my world and life is so very hard without him.

“We don’t live anymore, we just exist.”

When asked about Reece’s release a spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said it does not comment on individual cases, and it is a judge who sets the sentence. It was an evening in April 2013 when Reece and Danny had spent a night drinking together on a night out in Oswestry.

Danny had been drinking at the defendant’s address when an argument escalated into a fight, that ended up in the Oak Street car park.

The CPS told the trial at Birmingham Crown Court that the victim got the better of Reece, who ran home to return with a 30cm blade, described as a replica from Lord of the Rings.

There was a further confrontation and Mr Jones sustained a single stab wound, and died in hospital while undergoing emergency surgery.

Lisa said: “The day he took Danny from us destroyed our lives for ever and six years later he is going to start a new life.

“He should be serving life, he took my son’s precious life.

“Where is the justice? There isn’t any.”

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