The heartbroken mother of a 14-year-old knife victim today said politicians who oppose tougher sentences had their “heads in the sand”.
Lorraine Dinnegan, from Islington, said her family was “destroyed” after son Martin was stabbed to death by a 15-year-old in an unprovoked attack in June 2007.
The 47-year-old visited No 10 following the killing to call for tougher legislation and today said introducing new laws would save lives and are “well overdue”.
On the proposed rule of mandatory jail terms for two offences she said: “I think that is probably the most sensible idea to have that set in place because at the moment there doesn’t seem to be a deterrent. Time and time again we see another person being affected or someone being really young being stabbed and it’s just so destroying for families.
“I think for those young people who are carrying knives it’s still not getting through how serious the consequences are.
“That was one of the first things we said [at No 10] that we need to bring in, tougher sentences, and that was in June 2007 so this is well overdue.”
Mrs Dinnegan added: “I think there are still politicians who have their heads in the sand. It’s so serious because you can’t turn back the clock when someone’s life has been taken.”
