Mother of knife crime victim Ronan Kanda calls on youths to 'think twice' after recent weapon attacks in Wolverhampton's West Park

The parkland which is a favourite among families, dog walkers and visitors  made the eighth spot in the list of top 10 best parks to visit in the region, according to Tripadvisor reviews.

It is a place to walk, run, catch up with friends or just take in the scenery - but in recent times, it has seen a disturbing trend of serious criminal incidents.

On March 7 Harleigh Hepworth, from Rugeley, was murdered in the park off Park Road West and on December 19 an unnamed 17-year-old suffered serious injuries after a suspected stabbing resulting in a major police investigation.

Now Pooja Kanda, the mother of Ronan Kanda who was stabbed yards from his Mount Road in Lanesfield on June 29, 2022 in a case of mistaken identity, has called on young people tempted to carry knives to think twice before picking up weapons.

She said: "To hear of another stabbing in West Park is devastating. 

"A place which is supposed to be a nice family park seems now to be a hotspot for violent stabbings. 

"We urge young people to think twice before picking up a knife. 

"Your actions can ruin the lives of victims, their families, and your own life forever."

Stabbing - December

Most recently, a 17-year-old boy was airlifted to hospital with "serious injuries" after being found with a stab wound at West Park on December 19, with police and ambulance crews called to the scene just after 1pm.

Officers believe the stabbing happened near to the park at the junction of Park Road East and Devon Road.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: "We were called to reports of a stabbing near to the junction of Park Road East and Devon Road at 1.06pm. 

"One ambulance, a paramedic officer, a MERIT [Medical Emergency Response Intervention Team] trauma doctor with a Critical Care Paramedic and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford attended the scene. 

"On arrival we discovered one patient, a teenage male. He was treated for serious injuries before being airlifted to hospital."

West Midlands Police has appealed for witnesses of the incident to come forward as part of its investigation.

Anyone with information should contact the force via Live Chat on its website or by calling 101 and quoting log 2188 of December 19.

Harleigh Hepworth

Harleigh Hepworth, from Rugeley, was killed in West Park earlier this year, aged 17.

The teenager had been visiting Wolverhampton with a friend on the afternoon of his death on March 7.

After arriving in the city on the train, the two headed to West Park to meet the two teenagers who would later become his killers.

Harleigh and his friend walked through the park and were then confronted by the youngsters, including Jovarn Esterine, now aged 18, and a 17-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons, who had met the pair with an ulterior motive. 

Harleigh was fatally stabbed in the chest by the 17-year-old. He ran from the scene but was found lying in the park bleeding.

Harleigh's friend called for help, but despite a passer-by stopping and calling emergency services, he died from his injuries.

After he was stabbed, Esterine put his arm around Harleigh’s friend to prevent him from intervening to protect him.

Esterine held a knife to the friend’s chest, threatening to kill him unless he handed the passcode to his phone, which was then stolen.

Esterine, who was 17 at the time but has since turned 18, along with the 17-year-old, left the park and ran away from the area discarding one of the stolen phones in a nearby drain.

In November, following a six-week trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court,  the 17-year-old boy was found guilty of murder and robbery while Esterine was found not-guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter and robbery. The pair are expected to be sentenced at a later date.

In tribute to him, Harleigh's family described the teen as "funny" and "polite", adding they will "miss him massively". 

Speaking after the fatal stabbing in March, residents living near to West Park described feeling scared to let their children go outside.

Viktorija Sokolova

In 2018, Viktorija Sokolova, aged 14, was killed by teenager Ayman Aziz at West Park in a terrifying rape and murder that shocked the nation.

Aziz, who was aged 16 at the time, was later convicted of his crimes and jailed for life with a minimum term of 19 years.

Viktorija was savagely beaten in a pavilion before being dragged 150 yards to a bench, where her body was later discovered by a dog walker.

Police closed off the park for a week while they carried out the murder investigation.

Speaking to the Express & Star in 2018,  Det Insp Caroline Corfield described it as being one of the "most shocking" cases she had ever worked on.

Hundreds of balloons were tied to the gates of West Park in poignant memory of teenager following her death.

Eighteen-year-olds Prabjeet Veadhesa, of Bentley, and Sukhman Shergill, of Willenhall both in Walsall were last year detained for a total of 34 years for the murder of Ronan Kanda, aged 16, who they had mistaken for another youth they had fallen out with, after approaching the victim from behind and stabbing him with a blade bought on the internet.

Mrs Kanda is part of a coalition of groups and victims' families who are campaigning for peace on the streets and a ban on online knife sales. 

It is now illegal to sell and deliver knives, other bladed products and corrosive substances to anyone under 18.