Kent law student Olivier Pacaud experienced an “emotional rollercoaster” at a conference on knife crime that he was inspired to attend by leading UK barrister Courtenay Griffiths QC.
Olivier was one of many law students at Kent who heard Courtenay speak at a Special Guest Lecture in Woolf Lecture Theatre earlier this term. During his talk, Courtenay invited students to attend a ‘Say No to Knife Crime’ conference hosted at Middle Temple in London, organised by his 25 Bedford Row colleague and fellow barrister Emma Akuwudike.
Courtenay also spoke to students about the importance of hard work and made it clear that background is not an obstacle to success. He shared top tips for aspiring lawyers and emphasised the importance of getting involved in extra-curricular activities such as mooting, mini-pupillages and vacation schemes. Olivier was inspired to act on Courtenay’s invitation and reports on his experience of attending the conference below.
Panelists for the knife crime event, held last month, comprised: Courtenay; Martin Griffiths (lead trauma surgeon); DS Devan Taylor (homicide detective); Jessica Plummer (the mother of a victim of knife crime); Michael Belle (youth mentor); and Her Honour Judge Wendy Joseph QC.
Image credit: 25 Bedford Row
Say No to Knife Crime Event
This event was organised by the wonderful Emma Akuwudike, a criminal defence barrister at 25 Bedford Row. The event would not have been possible without her initiative and contacts, as well as the help of Middle Temple.
Dr Martin Griffiths gave a raw and powerful insight on the medical response side of knife crime. Dr Griffiths operates in the Royal London hospital in Whitechapel. He put the epidemic into perspective, explaining that the average age of his knife crime patients has been lowering steadily to the uncomfortably low age of 16, and that whilst a few years ago one stab wound was common, he is now seeing far more victims with several knife wounds. His unfiltered and disturbing emergency response stories (and images) quickly made the audience realise how severe and horrific knife crime is.
Next, we had Detective Sergeant Devan Taylor allow us a Met Police perspective on the matters at hand. Devan went over the atypical stabbing case of Harry Uzoka. Harry was a young and successful model with no problems within his community. His tragic death demonstrated that knife crime affects us all and that it can strike extremely unexpectedly.
One of the most emotionally strenuous things that I have ever listened to was the story of Shaquan, as told by his mother. Jessica Plummer took us through her upbringing, through to the upbringing of Shaquan and his three siblings, and then went on to explain what happened after Shaquan’s passing. Jessica’s story was moving. I was reduced to tears as I listened to Jessica’s harrowing recollection of events. No mother should have to bury her own child. Shaquan was loving, bright and upbeat. He was also young, and had his life robbed from him due to knife crime totally unexpectedly. Listening to a mother talk about her son in the past tense is simply not right. Jessica now does charity work and talks on a frequent basis to help the cause.
Following Jessica, Courtenay Griffiths QC, a criminal defence barrister at 25 Bedford Row, spoke to us about some of the legal elements relevant to knife crime. Courtenay covered a lot, ranging from the evidential practices within the criminal courts to the case law relevant to joint enterprise. Mr. Griffiths caught my eye as he spoke at the University of Kent a few days prior, so having another opportunity to hear him speak was not something I could turn down.
Michael Bell gave us a nuanced and refreshing perspective on the matter. Michael runs a charity called ‘A few great men’ as well as working within the prison system. He has had invaluable first person contact with many convicts as well as youths that are vulnerable to knife crime. He insightfully explained both sides of the coin and was an extremely passionate speaker.
Her Honour Judge Wendy Joseph QC of the Old Bailey proceeded Michael. She began by sitting all of the younger audience members at the front, so as to directly address them. Judge Joseph did not pretend to have answers to the knife crime epidemic that we have within the UK, however she did break down the problem in a truly comprehensible and logical way. Firstly, going through what the problem actually is, then why it may be happening, and finally discussing how we may begin to tackle it. Judge Joseph allowed us a privileged insight on some of the trends that she picked up on throughout her time hearing murder trials at the Old Bailey. She concluded that we need an umbrella of different efforts across the board in order to reach a socially desirable outcome.
We finished on a heated and impassioned Q&A session, giving the audience a chance to question the panel and put forward some ideas of their own. Refreshments were offered at the end of the event as well as a fantastic opportunity to talk to the panel, barristers and fellow students. I was also fortunate enough to have bumped into Bedford Row barrister Leon-Nathan Lynch, who is coincidentally a University of Kent graduate.
The morning was, at the risk of sounding cliché, an emotional rollercoaster. The wide range of panel members offered us a broad range of ideas and opinions, all of which were of significant but unique value. The day both taught me a lot and touched my heart. I hope that ‘Say no to knife crime’ keeps doing exactly what is has been, as the day was a fantastic success. Thank you to all of those who contributed to this success.
Olivier Pacaud
