Exclusive:’Every time another teenager is murdered we relive our own tragedy’.

Bereaved parents talk exclusively to The Havering Daily about another horrendous weekend of violence and how their lives are destroyed losing their son to knife crime.

For Sue Hedges and Julie Taylor their lives will never be the same again after losing their son and grandson to knife crime.

Last weekend we saw another spate of violence across the streets of London and a 16 year old boy murdered in Chelmsford.

Knife crime is an epidemic that is running rampant across our streets and despite campaigners working tirelessly with youths to steer them away from a life of crime, knives are still being carried.

Julie Taylor lost her grandson Liam Taylor in 2019 aged just 19 years old. She told the Havering Daily: “They told us the pain would get easier with time, but it doesn’t, it gets harder and harder.

“When I wake up for a split second I forget he is dead and then reality kicks in and I realise I will never see him again. It doesn’t get better, the pain gets tougher to deal with.”

Julie now spends every moment fund raising and donating Daniel Baird bleed kits from the Liam Taylor Foundation to place across as many locations as possible. These bleed kits are vital life saving tools that are London Ambulance approved.

“I woke up on Monday to the news that another 16 year old was murdered here. That is three in three years including my own grandson. I am broke all over again.

“His cause of death is not known yet but I’m rushing around putting bleed control bags together again. It is too late for this angel but we have to help save others.

“Everytime someone is murdered, we relive our own tragedy.”

In 2016 Sue Hedges lost her son Ricky Hayden to knife crime. Ricky was murdered outside of his own home. Now, Sue and her family live in endless pain knowing like Julie, that her son will never walk through her door again.

“Knife crime is becoming a daily occurence. People almost expect it to happen. When they saw a road cordoned off, they all immediately assume it is another knife crime incident.

“It is us the bereaved families that feel the pain and grief and the broken hearts of all the other families involved.

“If change in the Justice System does not happen, then it will only get worse. We are already seeing people patrolling their own areas.

“We send love to another family that will now be broken.”

Sue has also dedicated her time to donating Daniel Baird bleed bags on behalf of the Ricky Hayden Memorial, across Havering and east London to try and save as many lives as she can.

These ladies are broken, they spend their days campaigning, trying to save other families from feeling the pain they feel. They stand outside of key locations such as Number 10 and City Hall and yet no one ever chooses to talk to them and acknowledge this epidemic on our streets.

They are incredible ladies who have huge hearts and fight eternally to remember the name of their loved one.

Remembering Ricky Hayden.

Remembering Liam ‘Fish’ Taylor.

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