Heartbroken mother's emotional Facebook plea to find her son's killer

Killed: Joshua Hanson
Metropolitan Police
Hannah Al-Othman16 November 2015
WEST END FINAL

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The anguished mother of a 21-year-old who was stabbed to death has penned an emotional Facebook post, saying her "heart is broken beyond repair."

Joshua Hanson was killed at RE Bar in Eastcote, Harrow during the early hours of Sunday, 11 October, in an apparently unprovoked attack.

In a public message that has been shared hundreds of times, his mother Tracey Hanson wrote: "When your heart is broken beyond repair what do you do? How do I live without my beautiful son?

"How can the future even seem possible without his arms around me comforting me and telling me 'it will be ok Mum'?

Emotional: Joshua's mother shared a picture of her pregnancy scan
Tracey Hanson/Facebook

"What is the point to life when there is so much heartbreak, destruction and cruelty in the world?

"My son Joshua Sean was so precious to me along with his sister Brooke Louise Lyla Hanson, we had so many plans for the future.

Devastating: Tracey Hanson's posted a picture of her son's hospital bracelet
Tracey Hanson/Facebook

"I lived for them and would do anything I could to make them happy because that is what made me happy.

"No one is perfect and we had our moments like any 'normal' family! but we had an unbreakable bond that was solid."

When your heart is broken beyond repair what do you do? How do I live without my beautiful Son? How can the future even...

Posted by Tracey Hanson on Sunday, November 15, 2015

Mrs Hanson has spoken out following her son's death, saying "we will not let Josh die in vain", and has pledge to set up a charity that will combat knife crime on London's streets and will support families dealing with its devastating consequences.

A GoFundMe page set up by Ms Hanson has already raised more than £30,000.

Ms Hanson has also set up a Justice for Josh Hanson Facebook page, aimed at bringing his killer to justice.

Police have named 27-year-old Shane O’Brien as a suspect, and a £10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to his whereabouts.

Wanted for questioning: Shane O'Brien
Metropolitan Police

Mrs Hanson's emotional Facebook post, which she wrote on Sunday night, said she was "crying for Josh" as she prepared for her son's funeral, and she encouraged people to share her appeals in the hope of catching his killer.

She wrote: "Brooke and I sit and cry for Josh and the way he was taken from us and it is especially painful looking through all of our photos of him.

Heartbroken: Tracey Hanson shared a picture of her son's coffin
Tracey Hanson/Facebook

"While we put the finishing touches to Josh's Order of Service we know that we are holding on and staying strong to firstly make him proud and secondly to make sure we get justice for him.

"So while I look at the very beginning of his life to the very end and cry and call out to him, I ask each and everyone one of you to share our appeals far and wide and help us to achieve both.

"I would also like to thank you for getting us this far already."

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