The family of stab victim Joshua Bradley say they hope the tragedy of his murder will stop young men carrying knives on the streets of Nottingham.
Speaking on the first anniversary of his death, his sisters said they hoped flowers left at the city centre spot where he died will serve as a reminder of “the reality” of knife crime.
Vicky and Chelsea Bradley visited the scene for the first time today, where they paid tribute to the 19-year-old from Bilborough.
He was stabbed through the heart in Thurland Street while trying to protect a friend in a brawl.
Richard Johnson, then 24 and of Belton Street, Hyson Green, was jailed for life for Joshua’s murder in July last year.
I want people to remember what happened here
Vicky Bradley said: “I want people to remember what happened here that night, to try and stop it from happening again. This is the reality when people carry knives.
“I want people to think about what they are doing when they go out. This is what families have to do when you lose somebody to a knife – just think about it.
“Do you want to end up in prison? Do you want to end up dead yourself?
“It’s not just your life you are affecting when you carry a knife.”
Joshua, a talented amateur boxer, died in the early hours of February 8.
Notts Police have since pledged to continue to crack down on knife crime in the city.
The number of crimes involving knives has reduced overall since 2008, but proportion of crimes in which knives have been used to commit acts of violence, rather than to attempt to commit crimes like robbery, has gone up.
Det Chief Insp Leona Scurr said in December: “The criminal justice system is very clear on how seriously it takes possession of knives as there is no excuse for it and recent sentences reflect this.”
