Mother of 17-year-old fatal stab victim in 2018 speaks out against knife crime following death of Fred Shand

The mother of a 17-year-old fatal stab victim, who died in 2018, has spoken out against knife crime following the death of 16-year-old Fred Shand last week.

Cheri Curran is the mother of Louis-Ryan Menezes, who died in Kingsthorpe after suffering a single stab wound to the chest on May 25, 2018.

As the death of 16-year-old Fred Shand has shown similarities to the death of her own son, Cheri wanted to raise awareness of the devastating impacts of knife crime – as she has continued to do over the past five years.

Cheri said: “The recent case gives the true picture of how common knife crime is on our streets. The severity of this issue needs to be shared with anyone who will listen.

“The pain and suffering will never end for us or any family who loses their child in this horrific way.

“The similarities in Louis-Ryan and Fred’s murders are almost identical – in broad daylight, stabbed once in the chest, and just a few streets apart.

“The Kingsthorpe community has been shattered once again. Watching children die on the street is heartbreaking.”

Louis-Ryan’s death happened in Drayton Walk, following a sudden verbal confrontation that turned deadly when a kitchen knife was pulled out and Louis was stabbed once in the heart.

Louis was an aspiring motorbike mechanic and had been in Northampton the weekend of his death to spend a night with friends.

When his family last saw him, he was “bubbly and happy” and was looking forward to his weekend in the town.

His last words to Cheri, who dropped him off just hours before the stabbing, were: “I love you, mum.”

Talking to Chronicle & Echo about the devastating impact knife crime has had on her life, Cheri said: “What I’ve been through is every parent’s worst nightmare.

“Louis is my world and the air in my lungs. The pain is unbearable without him.

“Everyday is a struggle for our family and friends, but we have to keep moving forward and continue to highlight the pain and misery knife crime causes.

“The town needs to stick together and talk about the awful impact it has. Be involved in your children’s lives, and make them aware this could happen to anyone at any time.”

The 47-year-old, who now lives in Kettering, says 16-year-old Fred Shand’s passing has been “emotionally draining as she knows exactly what his family are going through”.

Cheri said: “Families who experience the impact of knife crime are united in pain, and we do not want anymore joining us.

“We are right back to where we started, saying the same things over and over again. Knife crime has taken another beautiful boy in the community.”

As the fifth anniversary of Louis’ passing is approaching, his mother says the “most heartbreaking thing” is thinking about the future he could have had and the aspirations he did not get the chance to achieve.

“I look at his friends, who now have jobs, driving licences and girlfriends and it breaks my heart,” said Cheri. “He will never become the person he wanted to be.

“The families left behind, including ours, will never get to see their beautiful children grow up – and that is why I continue to talk about knife crime.”

The 47-year-old believes to make a positive step forward, children need to be spoken to by parents and carers about the dangers of carrying a knife, and the prevention work in the community needs to continue – including what is offered by Off the Streets NN and the Knife Crime Victim Support group.

Cheri said: “It is all around us and knife crime has got to become part of dinner table conversation.”

She has also called for tougher sentences for youth offenders and said: “The families who have lost loved ones to knives get a life sentence.”

Cheri wanted to take the opportunity to name some of the other victims of fatal stabbings across the county, who she says she thinks about everyday.

Among them are Nehemiah Myrie, Liam Hunt, Reece Ottaway, Dylan Holliday and Rayon Pennycook – who died the same day as Louis three years apart in 2021.

“Desperate action is needed,” the mother finished by saying.

One organisation fighting for that change is Off the Streets NN, working to install amnesty bins and bleed kits across Northamptonshire to fight knife crime.

Since the charity was founded in August 2021 following the fatal stabbing of Dylan Holliday in Wellingborough, more than 100 bleed kits have been placed across the county – which assist in early intervention before the emergency services arrive at the scene of a stabbing.

Their amnesty bins also hope to encourage people to drop their knives and dispose of them safely.

Speaking to this newspaper, the charity’s co-founder Jane Capps said: “Our team was absolutely gutted to hear about Fred and we shed a tear at the horrific news.

“When you think you’re doing well to minimise knife crime, a tragedy like this hits harder. But this spurs us on to get as many bleed kits out there as we can, to make a difference.”

The co-founder, from Wellingborough, says “awareness is key” and the organisation will continue their intervention – which includes fundraising for more bleed kits, and offering training and workshops in schools and youth clubs.

“If I had my way, bleed kits would be on every street and accessible at all times,” said Jane.

The closest support available in Kingsthorpe, where the murders of Fred and Louis-Ryan took place, are the bleed bag in the Premier A&W Store in Newnham Road and the 24-hour access bleed control cabinet in Kingsthorpe Jets Football Club in Harborough Road.

A full list of the locations of both bleed bags and 24-hour access cabinets will be available online on Chronicle & Echo in due course.