• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Killer films plea behind bars for teens to not carry knives as amnesty launched in England and Wales

Sadam Essakhil was just 15 when he and a friend stabbed a 24-year-old man to death in 2015

Ben Gelblum by Ben Gelblum
2019-09-16 10:35
in News
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

A convicted murderer who stabbed a man to death as a schoolboy has made UK history by fronting a police video from behind bars urging youngsters not carry knives.

Sadam Essakhil was aged just 15 when he murdered Lukasz Furmanek, 24, in a street attack in Handsworth, Birmingham, on May 31, 2015.

He was jailed for life, to serve a minimum of 19 years for the “chilling and senseless” attack he carried out on the Polish victim with his 18-year-old pal Abdullah Atiqzoy.

Essakhil has now spoken from his prison cell of the moment he took a stranger’s life in a bid to warn young people about the devastating consequences of carrying knives.

The controversial and ground-breaking video, released by West Midlands Police, will now be shown in schools in a bid to combat knife crime.

 

RelatedPosts

Guns banned at Trump’s NRA address

‘Is that it?’: PM’s lapdog newspapers tell Brits to move on over Partygate

‘Appalling and upsetting:’ Fury at treatment of security and cleaning staff during partygate events

Watch: ‘I’m being heckled by my own people’ says Tory MP as he slams PM and demands he resigns

 
 

Essakhil, now 20, will say in the clip: “It’s not nice, having to live with the feeling that I’ve taken a life.

“Especially when you’re in your cell, thinking about things, they come to haunt you.”

After filming, Essakhil said: “The reason I carried a knife that evening was for my own protection. There was no intention on that day to go out and hurt anyone.

“The victim wasn’t known to me and I sincerely regret what I did on that evening and always think about the victim and his family, as they will never get to see him again.”

Detective Chief Inspector Jim Munro, from the force’s homicide team, said: “We see the tragic effects of knife crime far too often, the devastation that it causes so many people is truly heartbreaking.

“While officers work hard with young people, we understand some do not want to listen to what we have to say.

“Sadam’s message is powerful and I hope will provide some emotive thoughts and conversations amongst young people.

“We’re committed to reducing violent crime across our region and we’ve worked closely with the Prison Service, who we’re extremely grateful to for allowing us to interview Sadam and share his experiences in the hope that we can change behaviours and stop people carrying weapons.”

Knife amnesty bins

The film is part of Operation Sceptre, a week of action by police forces across the country in an attempt to tackle knife crime.

Among other activities, knife amnesty bins will be offered across England and Wales in an attempt to encourage people to surrender their weapons.

Sadam Essakhil (West Midlands Police)

In the chilling footage, Essakhil speaks candidly about getting involved with the “wrong crowd” prioritising friends over family after originally enjoying his life as a football-loving school pupil.

He added: “I started associating with older people from my own culture as well. I ended up hanging out with people who were a lot older than me.

“And obviously they were into doing wrong things and stuff like that. I went out there with a knife not trying to attack people, but to protect myself.

“And one thing leads to another and you never ever think you’re going to kill someone.

“But obviously doing that could actually mean killing someone. When I actually think about it you do not need that knife.

“I used to think I was protecting myself, but what am I protecting myself from?

“That night if I never took a knife, it would have been a fist fight at most and I would have ended up with a bruised eye and he would have got a bruised eye or a bruised face.

“Its not nice having a fight but its better than ending up in jail with a life sentence for killing somebody.”

“Savage and inexcusable”

A court heard Essakhil and Atiqzoy were walking towards an all-night supermarket at 3am when they encountered two Polish men coming the other way.

In less than 60 seconds, Mr Furmanek lay dying and his friend Joseph Dudek was critically injured having suffered multiple stab wounds following an altercation.

Paramedics carried out open heart surgery in the street but Mr Furmanek died at the scene. Mr Dudek, who was stabbed nine times, survived thanks to the skill of surgeons.

Essakhil, of Small Heath, Birmingham, and Atiqzoy, of Oldbury, West Mids., were both found guilty of murder and attempted murder at Birmingham Crown Court.

Sentencing, Judge Patrick Thomas QC said: “Your use of knives was savage and inexcusable on any basis.

“The consequences of what the two of you did are horrific and far reaching .”

West Midlands Police say they didn’t take the decision to use a murderer to front their anti-knife campaign lightly and believe they are the first UK force ever do so.

Powerful message

Detective Chief Inspector Jim Munro, from the force’s homicide team, said: “We see the tragic effects of knife crime far too often; the devastation that it causes so many people is truly heart-breaking.

“While officers work hard with young people, we understand some do not want to listen to what we have to say.

“Sadam’s message is powerful and I hope will provide some emotive thoughts and conversations amongst young people.

“We’re committed to reducing violent crime across our region and we’ve worked closely with the prison service, who we’re extremely grateful to for allowing us to interview Sadam and share his experiences in the hope that we can change behaviours and stop people carrying weapons.

“Lukasz Furmanek, aged 24, lost his life in May 2015, during a reckless act that lasted around 30 seconds.

“His mother is still struggling to come to terms with her loss, but is fully supportive of the campaign and said: “If I was to influence someone with my words, I would like them to think 10 times before they cause hurt to themselves and to other people.

“We must do more to prevent further victims and I hope this video, which will be delivered to all secondary schools in the West Midlands, helps to do that.”

Some of the weapons handed in on a previous Knife Amnesty (SWNS)

The force has also recently launched Project Guardian which started in June after receiving £7m from the Home Office to tackle youth violence and knife crime.

Police and Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson, added: “Too many young lives are lost from knife crime. It blights our communities.

“As well as robust policing we have to show the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife to young people.

“Carrying a knife has very real consequences for everyone involved. Two sets of families have lost sons, who won’t be fulfilling their potential.

“We have a responsibility to do more to divert young people away from crime and give them the opportunities they deserve.

“That is why I am investing in activities, mentoring and work opportunities to support for young people.

“Engagement like this from West Midlands Police is a key part of our strategy to tackle knife crime.”

READ MORE: Study reveals shocking number of life-threatening weapons attacks on police officers

More than 111 guns – including a machine gun, were handed in to Kent Police during amnesty

Boris Johnson’s plan to recruit 20,000 police officers has already been debunked, here’s why

Police cuts linked to feeling of lawlessness, says ex-Met chief

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Terrorists in Uniform: The Hypocrisy of War

Young doctors’ bodies ‘age six times faster than normal due to stress of the job’

Bringing a quantum shift to Christian prayer and worship

MPs stunned into silence as Jess Phillips lists all women killed in last 12 months

Global warming ‘reducing amount of carbon stored in forests’

Football fan ‘choked to death’ after being force fed chicken kebab as he slept on a train

Boris Johnson branded a “joke” and a “hypocrite” as NHS workers protest outside Downing Street

Claims Honda is about to close factory in Britain with loss of over 3,500 jobs

People’s Vote campaign to rethink after conceding second referendum unlikely

Police install 100 extreme emergency aid kits across the City of London to treat terror attack casualties

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.