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Knife victim's mother calls for more police on buses
Benedict Moore-Bridger22.10.08
THE grieving family of a man stabbed to death on a London bus called today for more police on public transport as two teenagers face life in jail for his murder.
Billy Ward, 21, was knifed in the heart, lung and liver following a row on a nightbus in south London.
Junior Lumbango and Starfield Badza, both 19, were yesterday found guilty at the Old Bailey of murdering the roofer last December.
He had been out in South Croydon when trouble began on the top deck of a bus travelling from Brixton to his home in New Addington.
Mr Ward tried to ignore Lumbango and Badza's behaviour, but as they left the bus one of them tried to slap him on the back of the head and called him to "come outside" for a fight. He was then put into a headlock and repeatedly stabbed on the pavement in Gravel Hill, Addington, and later died at the Mayday Hospital.
No police were on bus patrol that night. The Evening Standard has campaigned for tougher sentences to curb the escalating youth knife violence in London.
Billy's mother Jenny Ward said his family "miss him every second of every day". Mrs Ward, 49, told the Standard: "He didn't start the fight. Billy didn't deserve to die, and for that his killers should get life. But even with a life sentence, they'll enjoy being alive and their parents can visit them in prison.
"The closest I will ever get to my son is his grave. I hope they rot in hell."
Judge Christopher Moss QC warned the pair face life in prison.
Since the murder, Mrs Ward has campaigned for more police officers on buses, especially nightbuses.
She said: "All the talking we do and all the initiatives the Government tries are a big waste of time. No one's listening the situation is getting worse.
"Maybe these kids will see the price my son's murderers are paying and think twice before they carry a knife. I'm living in hope."
Lumbango and Badza, both from Forestdale, Croydon, will be sentenced on 18 November.
Reader views (6)
You're right Frederick.
Convicted killers are simply that, killers.
Let the social services pick over pseudonyms, and any other personal details, whilst these killers spend a minimum of 25 years each in jail.
If crude automatic discounts for early guilty pleas realy must be bargained for, this should only be for up-to-a-maximum of five years remission, and even then, only
should only be considered if the killer admits guilt within a fortnight of the crime, thus saving unecessary acute family distress and police time.
Scandalously, Straw and MuckLabour introduced rewards for criminals even before they start their jail 'punishment'.
- Dave, cumbria
They should but don't face 'life in prison', the judge will have to adhere to the relevant minimum-prison-term starting point - there are several as set down in the Criminal Justice Act 2003 - which for the majority of murders is just 15-years.
Just 15-years for murdering someone, that's what government thinks is appropriate.
Judges can increase or decrease from the starting for aggravating and mitigating factors but usually only by 2-3 years.
- Sue, London, UK
Why do you insist on calling these knife criminals teenagers or youths? Call them murdering thugs or scum or low life.
- Frederick, London, UK
We need more prisons and harsher prison regimes. Criminals and gangs are not afraid of being caught and when caught only face a slap on the wrist. When the punishment fits the crime then we may see a decline in stabbings.
- Mark, London
Ha. There are hardly any police on the streets. Fat chance of policing public transport.
- Bj, London
This is disgusting, and nothing is being done about knife crime!
- Eddie, London UK
