A sculpture dedicated to a 17-year-old boy stabbed to death is part of a touring exhibition highlighting the heartbreaking consequences of knife crime.
The Heart has the full approval of Brandon Regan's family and is part of an exhibition which opened in Parklands Library, Speke, not far from where the teenager lived. Following his death in 2018 relatives told how he was "mad into bikes" and was "always smiling".
It is part of Speke Out Against Crime aimed at giving "young people a voice" by using different artforms to showcase their understanding of actions that can challenge gang culture, knives and inequality.
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The sculpture was created by youngsters from Speke Venny working with international artist Gina Czarnecki. Brandon was a regular at Speke Adventure Playground, known locally as the Venny, when he was a boy.
Speaking about The Heart Speke Adventure Playground chair Paula Shaw said: "Knife crime has a huge impact on the victim, their families, the community and even the perpetrators lives. This piece of work is a highly visual representation and will hopefully leave a lasting impression of the consequences on any person who is thinking of carrying a knife."
Three men were convicted of killing Brandon following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court. Steven Jones, 24, of no fixed address but from Netherley, and Lewis Gibbons, 26, of Holland Road, Halewood, were both found guilty of murder.
Jack Butterworth, 22, of Finsbury Park, Widnes, was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter. Butterworth admitted assisting an offender and perverting the course of justice.
Brandon was killed by Jones after he stole his scooter and then fled across Speke on the bike.
The exhibition will remain at Parklands Library until the end of March. After that, it will tour libraries in North and Central Liverpool before ending in the city’s Central Library.
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