The grieving family of a man who lost his life after being repeatedly stabbed have shared their heartache on the first anniversary of his death.
Fise Ames Abdou was knifed in the legs at the home he was staying at in South Shields, South Tyneside. The 25-year-old died in hospital following the attack on March 5 last year.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how Fise was stabbed at least seven times in both legs. One of the stab wounds to his leg severed a vein and he bled to death despite efforts to save him.
Shaun Riches, 24, was cleared of murdering him but convicted of manslaughter. He was jailed for 14-and-a-half years with an extended licence period of a further five years.
One year on from the horrific crime, Fise's family plan to remember him by releasing balloons and laying flowers in his memory.
His sister Martika Ames Abdou, 29, said: "It doesn't even feel like a year ago, it feels like yesterday to us. We love and miss him so much. We're going to keep his memory alive, that's our life goal.
"He should never have lost his life in the first place. This shouldn't have happened. You always think about what could have been and what should have been.
"It's one of them things which you'll never get over. No matter how much healing you do, it's never going to leave you. We have got the rest of our lives to go without him."
Martika and Fise's older sister Laureece Ames Abdou, 30, said: "I just feel like half of my heart is missing.
"Everyday feels like a struggle. He's on my mind 24/7, I can't stop thinking about him. I don't think I have had a full night sleep since it happened.
"I can still remember the feeling of getting that phone call from my mam. I remember the way I felt and the way I screamed. I will never ever forget that day."
Fise grew up in South Shields. He lived with his mam Audra and three sisters Laureece, Martika and Audrina, 22, and was close to his dad Faz.
Martika, who is mam to Nevaeh, three, and Iaarah, one, said: "He was always in the middle of me and Laureece. He was like a third wheel, he was always there. With him being the only boy, we got told to look after him and he got told to look after us.
"He was a good little brother overall. He was always there if we needed him. He would always check in and make sure we were alright.
"He was funny, he was very high-spirited all the time and he was always on the go. He was very outgoing and he loved bikes."
Laureece, who is mam to Darcia, nine, Hugo, seven, Youniya, three, and Lavellah, two, said Fise was extremely close to his family and was a proud uncle to his nieces and nephew.
She said: "He was really loving and caring. We used to go to the gym together and he loved cooking for his mam and his sisters. He wanted to go down the mechanic route and have his own little garage with bikes.
"He never had a chance to have his own kids and settle down in his own house. He was still a boy with the rest of his life ahead of him."
She said their children are helping them to get through the agony of losing their brother. Laureece said: "I have got kids to keep going for. Even if you're having a bad day you have to get up and get on with it.
"I always talk about him and we always say goodnight to him before we go to sleep every night. I always say 'Love you Fise'.
"It's horrible the thought planning trips away and him not being there. You can't just not do stuff when you have kids, but I want him to be a part of it."
Martika added: "He's always been there. There's not been a point where he's not been there, so it's very hard. He doted on the kids, he absolutely adored all of them. It's horrible watching your child kiss a picture of him."
A jury at the court in Newcastle heard how Fise had been lying watching a film and eating ice cream when he was attacked at his friend's address on Marshall Wallis Road during the early hours of the morning.
Riches, of Wycliffe Avenue, Kenton, Newcastle, was sentenced for manslaughter in December last year.
Scott Mitchell, 25, of no fixed address, and Michael Raine, 35, of Grace House, Percy Main, North Shields, were cleared of murder and manslaughter.
Riches and Raine both pleaded guilty to having knives. Raine, who admitted carrying blades and wearing a stab vest while carrying out drug dealing, was jailed for 23 months.
Martika said: "It's been horrendous. It's been like a big blur as there's been that much going on. There was the trial, which was three weeks long, we had Fise's birthday in November and then the sentencing in December.
"All we can do is keep him in our thoughts and memories all the time. I can't watch any videos of him. I can't hear his voice because it's too painful."
Fise's family hope to create a charity in his name which will offer help and support others affected by knife crime. They also want to raise awareness of bleed control kits, which can help victims until paramedics arrive.
Laureece said: "We don't want him to be another number, his life did matter. He had a full life ahead of him. We're going to do everything in our power to make sure he's never forgotten."
In the last five months, three North East teenagers have lost their lives as a result of knife crime - Tomasz Oleszak, 14, Gordon Gault, 14, and Holly Newton, 15.
Fise's family is backing ChronicleLive's Stop Knives Taking Lives campaign.
Martika said: "We really feel for the parents. We know first hand what it's like and there's nothing worse than losing somebody before their time, especially when they're so young. Our support lies with all of them, we are here if they need anyone."
Laureece added: "I think people don't get enough punishment for knife crime, that's why it happening over and over again. I think we should all be grouping up together to tackle this head on."
As part of Chroniclelive's Stop Knives Taking Lives campaign we will be:
- telling the stories of those whose lives have been ripped apart by knife crime in a bid to raise awareness and make people truly understand the devastating consequences carrying or using a knife can have
raising awareness of knife laws to act as a deterrent
signposting people to places they can get help
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