Jermaine Cools was rushed to hospital after being stabbed multiple times close to West Croydon station in November 2021 but died from his injuries
(Picture: Met)The mother of a 14-year-old schoolboy stabbed to death outside a London railway station says she she has been “robbed of her future” as she called for tougher laws on knife crime after his killer admitted murder.
Jermaine Cools was rushed to hospital after being stabbed multiple times close to West Croydon station in November 2021 but died from his injuries. He was the youngest victim in a record year for teen murders in the capital.
At the Old Bailey on Monday, a 17-year-old boy pleaded guilty to his murder. Members of Jermaine’s family were in court to hear the plea.
The killer, 16 at the time of the stabbing, spoke only to confirm his name and say “guilty” during the brief court hearing. After his conviction Jermaine’s mother Lorraine Dudek called for a shake-up of knife crime laws with tougher sentences and more preventative measures, including more stop and search operations.
Mrs Dudek, 36, told the Standard: “The police brought a rock-solid case and I thank them for that. But despite the conviction I am still not satisfied, more should be done to prevent knife crime.
“Of course the fact that this killer cannot take the life of someone else’s child is a good thing. However, the deterrents to these young people carrying knives are not there. There are so many repeat offenders still on the streets.
“Jermaine was totally innocent and was robbed of his life which has robbed me of my future. We were so close. I doted on him. He was lovely, great around people of all ages and would light up a room.”
She added: “The streets of London are not safe and it’s time for change. A lot of the kids are carrying knives. I would say to them ‘every time you step outside the door with a blade you could be killed’. They get Dutch courage from having a knife but they are putting their lives in danger as well.”
She described how Jermaine had left the family home on the day of his killing as normal and went to meet his friends. He was near her workplace in Croydon and his grandmother’s house when he was attacked. Mrs Dudek added: “The justice system on knife crime is not fit for purpose. My son went out and never came back, we cannot stand for this.”
His was the 27th of 30 teenage killings on the streets of London in 2021. The Old Bailey heard how his killer has had psychological assessments in custody, and he will appear in court again on February 24 for a sentencing date.
