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Mum of murdered student Luke O’Connor shares devastating video statement as killer is sentenced

His killer has been jailed.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 19th June 2023

The mother of Luke O’Connor, a 19-year-old undergraduate student who was stabbed to death in Fallowfield, has issued a powerful video statement through police as her son’s killer is jailed.

Shiloh Pottinger, 20, was sentenced to 15 years in jail for manslaughter on Monday 19 June.

He will serve at least 10 years of that sentence behind bars before he can be considered for release.

Manchester Crown Court heard how Luke had been travelling home from a party in the early hours of Wednesday 26 October 2022, when he came across and was stabbed multiple times by Pottinger.

Luke was left in the street, on Wilmslow Road, where he died despite CPR efforts from emergency services that were flagged down by members of the public.

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His mother Carolyn has now spoken about the devastation the O’Connor family faces in the wake of the death of their youngest son.

She said that Pottinger’s sentence ‘in no way compares to our life sentence’, and insisted that her son will not have died in vain.

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Carolyn pleaded for people not to carry knives and to speak out against those who do.

Watch Luke O’Connor’s mother pay tribute to her son:

She said in a video released through GMP: “Luke was my lively, bubbly, and beautiful little boy. He was the youngest of three boys in our family, and he was loved by so many people.

“He was a student at university and he loved the freedom of living in Manchester.

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“He’d gone to a party that night like any other student, and was simply walking home. But he never made it.

“Luke was 19 years old and he had his whole life ahead of him. He had big dreams for his future and wanted to travel the world.

“But now those dreams can no longer happen.

“The person who snatched Luke from us will serve his time in jail, but he will still be able to see his family again. His family will not have to suffer in the way that we have.

“I will never see my son again, and our family has been left with a hole in our hearts that will never be filled.

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“We cannot lose Luke for nothing, and if we can prevent this from happening to someone else, and encourage people not to carry knives and to actually think about the consequences, then his death will not be in vain.

Luke O'Connor was stabbed to death at the age of 19
Luke O’Connor was stabbed to death at the age of 19. Credit: GMP
Shiloh Pottinger has been jailed for the murder of Luke O'Connor
Shiloh Pottinger has been jailed for the murder of Luke O’Connor. Credit: GMP

“Knife crime is not just gang-related violence. This is happening on our streets as some think it’s normal to carry a knife. It’s not normal. If you know someone is carrying a knife, do the right thing, and speak out or report it to the police.

“Too many young lives are being taken and it has to stop.

“If there had been no knife that night, my Luke would still be with us, and I would not be here today.”

Detective Sergeant Laura Murray of GMP’s Major Incident Team said: “Luke was just 19-years-old when he was stabbed and killed on his way home. His parents have gone through something that no parent should have to go through.

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“From the outset, the investigation team has worked tirelessly to secure the best possible outcome. I’m pleased the offender has been served a jail sentence however it will not bring Luke home to his family.

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“Had Shiloh Pottinger not been carrying a knife that night, then Luke would not have died. This case shows very clearly the tragic consequences that come from carrying knives.

“Many other lives have also been ruined – those of family and friends.

“The police are working hard to tackle knife crime, but we need help. We need parents and teachers to challenge the idea that it’s acceptable to carry knives. And if you know or suspect a friend of yours is carrying a knife, you need to call out that behaviour.

“I’d now like to speak directly to anyone out there who carries a knife. Please I urge you to put it down before it’s too late. It will cost you your life.”

Featured image: GMP

News

New driving test cancellation rules introduced by DVSA to reduce waiting times

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Booking a driving test

Learner drivers will now be required to give longer notice periods when they need to cancel their driving tests in a bid to reduce waiting lists.

Up until this week, anyone who had booked a driving test which they could no longer attend had to change or cancel their appointment within three full working days notice, but now, as of yesterday (8 April), the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) requires learner drivers to give 10 days’ notice.

If learners fail to provide the 10 full working days’ notice, then they will not be able to redeem their test fee back.

According to the DVSA’s new rules, only Monday to Saturday count as working days, while Sundays and public holidays do not.

But why has the change been introduced?

Well, according to the DVSA, lots of people who are not ready to take their driving test leave it until right at the last moment to change or cancel it, and although that appointment then becomes available to other learner drivers, many of them tend to go unused, given the fact it’s so close to the test date and they may not feel prepared enough.

So, the DVSA hopes that by asking learner drivers to give more notice, it should give other people more chance to use the appointment, and ultimately reduce driving test waiting times.

Woman driving a car
New driving test cancellation rules have been introduced by the DVSA to reduce waiting times / Credit: pxfuel

There are, of course, some exceptions to the rule, with some learners still being able to apply for a refund at short notice if they have an illness or injury, have suffered a bereavement, have to take a school or college exam, or have their provisional driving license stolen.

On top of this, the DVSA has confirmed that it will continue to pay out-of-pocket expenses for any car driving tests that it has to cancel with fewer than three full working days’ notice.

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The DVSA is urging learner drivers to cancel their driving test if they cannot attend, rather than just not turning up.

Featured Image –

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More than 80% of Brits think the Government is badly handling the cost of living crisis

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Rachel Reeves, Keir Starmer, and Angela Rayner

More than 80% of Brits think the Government is badly handling the cost of living crisis, a new survey has revealed.

It’s no surprise that the rising cost of living crisis has been one of the defining political issues of the 2020s, not just here in the UK, but right across the world, and according to the shocking findings from a new YouGov survey as we enter the second half of the decade, these financial problems show no sign of disappearing.

56% of Brits, which is a clear majority, say they have been affected by cost of living pressures in recent times, with four in 10 (40%) of those, in particular, saying they have not just had to make cuts to their usual spending, but expect to have to do so again in the future.

Even though a fifth of Brits (21%) say they have been able to maintain their usual levels of spending soon, they sadly anticipate having to make some cuts soon.

To really hit home just how much the country’s been affected, the new survey found that just one in five Brits (19%) say they have been able to maintain their usual levels of spending, and expect to be able to continue to do so.

The survey also uncovered who was finding the cost of living crisis so hard to manage, with six in 10 women (60%) saying they have already had to make cuts, compared to just 51% of men, and why they are feeling the affects – with inflation rising faster than wages, on average, being the most common reason.

And when it comes to the Government’s input, responses were far from favourable.

As mentioned, currently eight in 10 Brits (81%) say the Government is managing the cost of living badly, which is up from an already-high 74% last November, and is also the highest number since back in August 2023.

Just one in eight (12%) believe the Government has handled the matter well, from 15% in November.

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Even among Labour voters themselves, YouGov found that there was ‘little feeling’ the Government is doing a good job, as only 22% believed it’s been positively handled, compared to two-thirds (67%) who see them as having done badly on the matter.

Featured Image – Jessica Taylor / No 10 Downing Street (via Wikimedia Commons)

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