EXCLUSIVE: ‘Police do a fantastic job arresting those carrying knives, the courts then let them back out on our streets. Our sentencing is disgusting.’

Havering bereaved mother Sue Hedges hits out at the Justice System and weak sentences allowing those who carry knives to return to our streets with next to no punishment.

In 2016 Sue Hedges lost her son Ricky Hayden to knife crime. Since then, Sue and her family have spent everyday battling to stop knife crime and donating life saving Daniel Baird bleed kits in a desperate bid to save lives.

Yesterday, 10 October, Sue saw video footage in the Havering Daily of a Romford man carrying a large knife threatening a member of the public. Despite the swift work by police officers in Harold Hill, the man walked out of court with a suspended sentence.

The Harold Hill incident.

“Over the last few months I have witnessed with my own eyes the fantastic work the police have been doing in Harold Hill. I have seen their proactive work tackling knife crime, reducing anti social behaviour, working with our youth and really doing what they can to stop this epidemic.

“Yet today, I saw the video of the Romford man openly armed with a knife threatening a poor man on a bench, at the Hilldene shopping centre and read that he walked away from court with a suspended sentence. Where is the deterrent? How is that right? What message does that send out to all those who carry knives?” Sue told the Havering Daily.

“The justice system is a big problem in this country. The sentencing is disgusting. This particular case is reality. Do we really want people like this on our streets NO. But yet again the justice system dishes out a suspended sentence. What does that say to other criminals? This country is becoming a free for all, our streets are NOT safe day or night,” she continued.

“I have spent time in Harold Hill donating bleed kits to different shops and speaking withe the local community. I have seen the work going on between traders and the police to improve the area and stop crime. Yet all this work goes out of the window when sentences or lack of sentences, are handed out like this. This let’s us all down from the community who are utterly fed up with this going on in their neighbourhood, to police officers who have clearly worked so hard to remove individuals like this only for him to be back out there. It really is appalling and I think most people are now angry with the way things are.”

Sue and her family are sadly all too familiar with just how poor the Justice System can be. They spent weeks in court after Ricky’s murder, only to be failed.

“I am well aware the failures of the justice system. They failed us and many other bereaved parents and clearly still doing it everyday. We can all see what an epidemic knife crime is and how no one is actually dealing with the problem except police officers who face it everyday. Can you imagine how they must feel putting in so much work only to watch the individual walk out of court?

“Myself and my family spent 31 long days in court after Ricky was murdered. I have said it and I will say it over and over again- when it comes to the Old Bailey and the justice system, I am ashamed to be British.”

Sue donating vital life saving bleed kits to Harold Hill traders.

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