I sat with a 14-year-old boy this week who is being sent to a PRU. This boy has a long history of different things that have had a negative impact on his life including neglect, family involved with gangs, undiagnosed needs. The list is endless.
He is being sent to PRU because he carried a weapon and threated someone with that weapon. I spoke with him about it and this is what he said about it.
“I carry a knife because I have too. I have to protect myself. But I have thought about it and I will only stab someone in the leg if I have to stab someone. Because you can’t die if you get stabbed in the leg”.
Swear down, that is what he said to me. I have done a lot of work with this young person in relation to gangs and exploitation. And never once did I think that he believed that. He would not have thought that up himself. Someone has said that to him. He has also said that he plans to continue to carry a knife from now on.
Representation from the police was present when this was disclosed. When a child said they plan to carry a knife from now on. And you know what will happen…not a lot.
So, lets flash forward and look this absolutely shocking but of news.
“Teen filmed trying to smash his way into car with zombie knife walks free from court”. You can read the full account of this HERE
In relation to the young man I was just talking about, what kind of president does that set for him and others like him. No matter what intervention I try or introduce, that headline is splashed all over the headlines.
Did you see the video to this? I have added it here for you to watch. Zombie knife video
Lets just address this. First, I know nothing about the back ground of this story. I have no idea who is or is not in gangs. I don’t know why it happened. I don’t know the back ground on Joshua Gardner apart from what has been reported
Joshua was 17 when the attack took place. The judge said that even though the incident was “Extremely serious” she was setting him free because he has “a realistic prospect of rehabilitation”.
He took a zombie knife from his trousers in broad daylight and tried to attack a man. I have watched that footage many times and I believe that if he had opened the car door in that instance, he would have attacked that man with that knife. From pure adrenalin if nothing else. When the man gets out and runs, Joshua does not follow him. Not that we see. But watch the video and you will see that when he flings his bike down and reaches for his knife and the attacks the car, h would have attacked that man with that knife. I have seen it too many times.
I back rehabilitation, of course I do, I am proof that a person can change. But this time the judge got it wrong and sentencing should have taken place. Not just for Joshua to fully understand the consequences of his actions, so that other young people see that we are taking knife crime seriously.
Because I am going to be real with you. I’m gonna be raw.
I carried a knife as a child and young person. I won’t get into the what and ifs of that, just know this, If I had seen this on the news when I was 16… you know what I would have done…I would have started carrying a bigger knife…and I will tell you why…
1: Because if he can carry that and just get 9 months at home with his mum, then it would be worth the risk. That’s me speaking with the mind of my 15-year-old self. Before I truly knew what happened to people when they were stabbed. Before I was the ripple effect that happens when someone’s life is taken with a knife. Before I truly had any fear.
2: If my man is carrying a knife like that then I better upgrade because the streets have no rules and if he gonna pull something like that…someone else might as well.
3: To be like him. My man carried a zombie knife…mashed up a car…made a man run and leave his own car ya know…rah…I wanna be raw like that.
So, if 15-year-old me would think like that, how do you think many other young people will be thinking about it. Do you think they saw this and thought “Rah…I best not carry a knife you know, because I don’t want to have to be in every night”? Noooo.
This next paragraph is not meant with any disrespect at all, but I have to say it.
If you read down the article it will list all the misfortunes that have happened to this young man in his life that judge took into consideration before passing sentence. Some bad stuff happened to this young man and I especially feel for him at the loss of his brother. But let me tell you this. We all got a story. Each young person on road right now will have stories that are just as heart breaking as this. Me and every person I was involved with growing up had a problem. Like the Eminem song goes…I got problems but everyone on my blocks got them.
So, Judge Jhir, your gonna have to let a lot of young people walk out of court. You will be sending a lot of young people back onto the streets with the hope that nothing happens and that they don’t go on to harm someone.
What the young people have learnt today is that the streets are not safe and will not be anytime soon. That you can pull out a knife, with intent, and get sent home to your mum.
I will end with this.
Readers…have you ever seen someone be stabbed?
I have. A few times. Once, someone I knew got stabbed in the stomach. We all rushed around him pressing jumpers and stuff on the wound. Blood started coming out of his mouth in big gulps. Like that scene in harry potter when the slugs wont stop coming out of Ron’s mouth. Big glugs of blood coming out of this boys’ mouth. He was kind of chocking on it because he was crying out in pain and gasping for breath and then every couple of seconds. It was like watching him drown to death on his own blood. He had snot and shit coming out of his nose so at time could not catch his breath at all. He wet himself. A minor in what was happening but will stuck in my mind as the other were holding him and someone said “Shit, Del is passing himself bruv”.
Did that boy live?
Of course not.
So why take the risk.
Zombie knife…and what!