A CAMPAIGNING mother whose son died in a tragic stabbing said she was “disgusted” by the lack of jail sentences for those found guilty of knife possession.

Theresa Cave has warned more still needs to be done to tackle knife crime and gang violence, nearly two decades on from her son’s murder.

The Northern Echo: Chris Cave

Chris Cave was stabbed to death in Redcar in June 2003, and since then his mother, has fought tirelessly alongside her other son Tom to deter young people from carrying knives or guns or committing violent crime through the Chris Cave Foundation.

Mrs Cave spoke to The Northern Echo after new figures found there were 61 cases in Cleveland, County Durham and North Yorkshire where a re-offender was not sent straight to prison, despite the law outlining that adults already convicted of the crime should face a minimum six-month jail term.

“Until they strengthen the sentences for re-offenders then it will keep happening,” she said.

“I’m disgusted that the sentences aren’t being handed out and I’m shocked that no-one has been made an example of, because until they do that, other people will follow suit and there’s no deterrent.

“There’s going to be more deaths because the sentences don’t fit the crime. Until that happens these people carrying knives will continue and there’s nothing we can do to stop that because we’re not the law.

“The police do the job and catch the criminal, they hand it over to the CPS and if they get charged they go to court and the judge gives them a slap on the wrist.”

Thanks to the work of the Chris Cave Foundation, children in the region have benefited from help and support aimed to prevent offending.

The charity has supported children as young as eight to deter them from violence.

“I’m working with 16 to 24-year-olds who have been caught carrying a knife through peer pressure and fear,” Mrs Cave added.

“We are educating people about gang crime, guns and knives. We’re teaching kids how to pack a wound on the scene of a stabbing before the ambulances gets there.

“We shouldn’t have to be doing that but we are – it’s terrible.”

She said educating children and tackling the issue from a young age was of paramount importance to prevent offending.

She said: “Education is key because we can show them avenues and careers to go down.We make them believe they belong in society because many think they have been kicked to the kerb and have got no future, but they do.

“We’ve got to give them the self-esteem that’s been ripped away from them because there’s no youth services, there’s nothing left for them. They’re just left on corners.

“Our doors are open for anyone until they feel they don’t need support anymore. We won’t turn our back on anyone.”