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A young man who was left in a wheelchair after being stabbed in a brutal and unprovoked attack in London has now received a devastating cancer diagnosis.
James Bascoe-Smith, now 20, was ambushed by two hooded men while he was testing his mother’s bike near their former Brixton home in February 2021.
An innocent victim of a presumed gang stabbing, he collapsed while shouting “call my mum”. The then 16-year-old “died” for 50 minutes due to a lack of oxygen and blood to the brain until he was revived by medics.
Three years later, Mr Bascoe-Smith has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and is facing months of chemotherapy after becoming very unwell while undergoing surgery to help straighten his legs.
In a new appeal to put an end to knife crime, his aunt Rachel Duncan told The Independent: “I want to see tangible action that will change things, there’s too much talking and not enough being done.
“The best part of his teenage and adult years he has been in hospital. The impact on him is so great, we will never truly understand what that has done to his life.”
It comes after Sir Keir Starmer launched a new coalition this week alongside Hollywood actor Idris Elba to tackle the issue, which saw prominent knife crime campaigners and bereaved families join together at Downing Street on Monday.
The prime minister promised to double down on commitments and tackle the online sale of deadly weapons, with the summit expected to become an annual event.
Mr Bascoe-Smith’s life was upended when he was randomly attacked by Leon Rashid and Taiquane Lewis, then aged 20 and 19, with multiple weapons including a combat knife, a zombie-style machete and a Rambo-style knife.
He spent 174 days in hospital, has been left with a permanent brain injury, and is unable to work. Following an Old Bailey trial, the pair were found guilty of conspiracy to murder. Rashid was jailed for 14 years while Lewis received a 13-year sentence.
As his attackers remain behind bars, Mr Bascoe-Smith has continued with his gruelling treatment which consists of regular physiotherapy and hospital appointments. It was shortly after an operation on both legs in February that concerns were first raised after his temperature began spiking and he repeatedly vomited.
Following a number of tests his mother Lisa, who has had to leave her job to become a full-time carer for her son, was given the official diagnosis that he had cancer and required chemotherapy.
“He’s going to be having chemotherapy for the coming months,” Ms Duncan said. “It’s really hard because he’s still got to continue his rehab and the treatment for his previous injuries so it does impact what they can do with him.”
“He’s very low at the moment, we’re trying to find ways to motivate him. I think James tries not to think about the incident as it brings back too much trauma, but all he wants to know is, why me? Even the defence couldn’t provide that answer.”
During his attackers’ sentencing, Mr Bascoe-Smith managed to record a video to play to the court, in which he said: “They have stopped me from driving, going on my first holiday with my friends to celebrate my 18th birthday, gymnastics coaching, working, and from becoming a music producer as I was studying this in college.
“I cannot get out of bed on my own, I cannot even brush my own teeth and I need a lot of medication to help me with my recovery.”
As well as impacting him physically and mentally, Mr Bascoe-Smith and his mother have now relocated to a different area and have been housed in a two-bedroom accessible flat. Yet issues with dampness and cockroaches meant he has been left with regular chest infections, causing further anguish to his loved ones.
His mother is now hoping to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust by skydiving in Maidstone, Kent, on 22 September – just days after her son’s 21st birthday.
Speaking of the moment their lives changed forever, Ms Duncan said: “There are so many more voices that need to be around the table when it comes to tackling knife crime. What about the people who survived and are just constantly reliving it?
“We need to be looking at schools, the health sector, how county lines [drug trafficking] are a problem. There are a lot of complex discussions to be had and I want to make sure the right people are in the room.”
A ban on zombie-style knives and machetes will come into force on 24 September and will be followed by plans to ban ninja swords.
While knife-related offences in England and Wales are lower than pre-pandemic levels, they have been steadily increasing since 2012.
A total of 41 per cent of all homicides in the year ending March 2023 were knife-related, according to government data.
