Mum of murdered Haverhill teenager Harley Barfield receives more than 50,000 signatures for petition demanding stricter sentencing for knife possession

A campaign demanding stricter punishments for people carrying knives has been launched by a Suffolk mother, after her teenage son was murdered earlier this year.

More than 50,000 people have signed a new petition set up by Bernice Barfield, calling for the Government to implement mandatory prison sentences for knife possession.

Her 16-year-old son Harley – who was a pupil at Stour Valley Community School in Clare – was stabbed multiple times in Haverhill on January 9, and died from his injuries two days later.

His attacker – another teenage boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons – was found guilty of murder, following a trial at Ipswich Crown Court earlier this month.

The court heard that the defendant had deliberately sought out Harley at a car park near Strasbourg Square, after a long-running feud between the two, before confronting and attacking him with the knife.

Investigators found that the blade had been taken from a set of kitchen knives at the defendant’s home.

In her petition on Change.org, Mrs Barfield argued that current laws around carrying knives are inadequate, and this meant the defendant’s purported history of possessing knives prior to the attack had not been acted upon.

She said her family wanted to turn “grief into action”, by helping to ensure that other families do not have to suffer the same pain as them.

“This is not just for myself but for everybody,” she told SuffolkNews. “Stabbing is becoming an everyday thing and there is no real deterrent.

“The whole purpose of this is that, if there is a law in place, some of them would not take a knife out.

“My main aim was to get these signatures and it took off a lot quicker than I planned, which is amazing.”

Mrs Barfield is hopeful that the 100,000 signatures will be reached and the proposal tabled for discussion in Parliament before Christmas.

She added: “I’m finding my way forward and keeping Harley's memory alive. If I can stop just one family from going through this, that will be great.

“Anything that prevents knife crime is a help. We have got to get the message out there.”

To view the petition, go online to www.change.org/p/implement-mandatory-sentencing-for-knife-possession.