Northampton teenager named on list of 27 young people stabbed to death in 'Wild West Britain' in past year

A Northampton teenager, Louis-Ryan Menezes, was pictured on the front cover of a national newspaper yesterday in a list of 27 teenagers killed by knife crime in the UK in just one year.
By Alastair Ulke
Published 6th Mar 2019, 17:09 BST
Updated 6th Mar 2019, 18:15 BST
Pictured here are six Northamptonshire men who were stabbed to death since January 2018.Pictured here are six Northamptonshire men who were stabbed to death since January 2018.
Pictured here are six Northamptonshire men who were stabbed to death since January 2018.

Louis-Ryan was stabbed to death on Drayton Walk, in the St Davids area, Kingsthorpe, on the evening of May 25. He was just 17.

The teenager was named on the front page of the Daily Mail on Tuesday (March 5) as one of 27 other young people - and 285 totally - killed by knives over the past 12 months in the UK.

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It comes as part of a wider national story after Tory MP Julia Lopez warned the Commons that the public was 'losing faith' in the Government's ability to police the streets.

Louis-Ryan Menezes, 17, is just one of 27 teenagers who were stabbed to death in the Uk in the last 12 months.Louis-Ryan Menezes, 17, is just one of 27 teenagers who were stabbed to death in the Uk in the last 12 months.
Louis-Ryan Menezes, 17, is just one of 27 teenagers who were stabbed to death in the Uk in the last 12 months.

Many national newspapers have adopted the phrase 'wild west Britain' to address the national knife crime crisis. The Daily Mail reported the UK suffered 110 knife crimes a day in the year leading up to September 2018.

Labour's Stella Creasy told Home Secretary Sajid Javid: "The task forces, the consultations, the more reports, it isn't working. This is an emergency that requires an emergency response."

Even in Northamptonshire, there have been seven killings or murders linked to knives and stabbings since January 2018.

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The victims in those cases were Tairu Jallow, 29, Louis-Ryan Menezes, 17, Chris Matthews, 42, Daniel Fitzjohn, 35, Augustus 'Gus' Davies, 23, Reece Ottoway, 23, and Shane Fox, 26.

Louis-Ryan Menezes was stabbed to death off Drayton Walk in May last year.Louis-Ryan Menezes was stabbed to death off Drayton Walk in May last year.
Louis-Ryan Menezes was stabbed to death off Drayton Walk in May last year.

And an incident - which police are treating as attempted murder - left a 17-year-old boy with serious injuries when he was stabbed on February 18. No has been charged for this offence.

It comes as data shows that knife offences in Northamptonshire have increased by more than 40 per cent over the last four years, with 452 offences involving a knife or sharp weapon between April 2017 and March 2018.

A 17-year-old boy has been charged with Louis-Ryan's murder and was set to stand trial in February, but the case had to be adjourned to later in the year.

Related topics:NorthamptonLabourNorthamptonshireGovernment