My heart broke for grieving mother Leanne Ekland this week. Leanne, from Bristol, lost her beautiful boy, Max, after he was stabbed along with a friend when they’d popped out for a pizza together in January last year.
Max, 16, and his friend Mason, 15, were mistakenly identified by four marauding teenagers as gang rivals and viciously attacked with machetes. Both died next morning.
But coming to terms with such a senseless, wicked tragedy hasn’t been the end of Leanne’s suffering. She had taken a crumb of comfort after all four killers were jailed for multiple life sentences. But now even that fragment has been snatched away from her. Why?
Because one of the homicidal thugs has been recording “rap” lyrics in prison and posting them online: lyrics that boast and glorify and exult in Max’s brutal death. Leanne was shocked to learn the words include references to “33 seconds”, the precise length of time the attack lasted. Another line – brace yourselves – chants: “Yeah, I’m 13s boppin”, where’s HE? He’s up in his coffin!
So much for remorse, something this despicable 17-year-old, name of Kodi-Shai Westcott, claimed at his murder trial to be feeling, presumably said in a bid for a shorter sentence.
Some remorse. Members of the gang went out straight after the slayings for a McDonald’s. Shai-Westcott has all the remorse of a rattlesnake.
Incredibly, it was Leanne who had to bring the Prison Service’s attention to Shai-Westcott’s disgusting online posts. They are in clear breach of prison rules, and should incur punishment including extending the length of sentence.
But, at the time of writing, has the Prison Service had the common decency to explain to Leanne how this appalling and clear infringement of the rules was allowed to happen (prisoner internet access is supposed to be rigidly controlled)? Or what the penalties will be? SHE HASN’T HEARD A WORD FROM THEM.*
A tearful but dignified Leanne told her appalling story on Good Morning Britain. Richard tells me his programme was inundated with love and support for her. But she needs more than that. She needs justice.
* Since the interview Leanne has been invited to meet the minister for Youth Justice and Sentencing for a “personal discussion”.
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