'My heart is shattered, and I do not know if it is ever possible to mend': Mother of teenager murdered in the street speaks as killers sentenced

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

The legal process can be a dehumanising system. In cases where there is a loss of life, a loved and cherished person is often referred to as the ‘deceased’ or the ‘victim’.

The family of the bereaved sometimes complain that they felt as if the accused received more attention and concern during the process.

But there is a part of the criminal justice system which allows them to express their feelings, however raw and emotional. The victim impact statement is one of the few examples where the often stale and regimented court process is dispensed with.

It was no different in the case of a mother reflecting on the loss of her son. “Having lost my only son, my world has been changed forever,” said Kayon Walker, the mother of 17-year-old Prince Walker-Ayeni.