The mum of an 18-year-old stabbed to death by a drug dealer in a row over a bike has spoken of how she believes the law and society need to change to beat knife crime.
Nathan Towsey, 21, of Braunton Crescent in Gedling, was found guilty at Nottingham Crown Court of murdering Matthew Rothery at his home on Woodborough Road, Mapperley Park, on Good Friday April 14.
Towsey, a self-confessed drug dealer, stabbed Matthew in the knee, severing an artery, in a dispute over a bike.
After the verdict on Friday (November 2), Matthew’s mum Sharron Hartfield said: “The man who killed my son has today been convicted. This does not bring me any peace but it does bring some measure of justice for Matthew.
“My only hope for the future is that another family does not have to suffer the same as we have. Young men carrying and using knives is unforgiveable and devastating and this needs to be addressed in our society and legal system. It is not and can never be acceptable as the cost of such actions comes at far too high a price.
“Matthew was a cheeky, loving, kind-hearted, affectionate son. He was a born entertainer, he loved life and everyone around him, I adored him as did his family. He was idolised by his younger brother and sister. To them he was awesome and funny and silly and they had the purest of love for him.
“He was not perfect and he tried to push boundaries but he had a heart of gold and would help anyone. He was still trying to find his way, his place, in life but he will now never have that opportunity.
“To carry a knife is pathetic regardless of the reason. It does not make you the big man or the top dog – to use a knife against another human being is beyond comprehension to those of us that have values. It goes against every moral fibre that we have, it is deplorable and sickening.
“Matthew lost his life as a result of being stabbed. I have lost someone that can never be replaced. In the years to come I am not going to meet another son, another Matthew.
“My baby boy had every right to go on and live a long and happy life filled with love and the sound of his own children’s laughter. He will never get to do that and that for me as his mum is the worst punishment ever.”
