Girl, 12, left as mother's sole carer after brother stabbed to death in Doncaster

• Lisa Theobald told ITV News reporter Astrid Quinn about the devastating impact of knife crime.

The mother of a young man who was stabbed to death on a night out has told how she is now reliant on his 12-year-old sister for her care.

Ryan Theobald, 20, died after being attacked outside a bar in Doncaster in January.

Before his death, Ryan would help his mother, Lisa, with everything from housework to getting her in and out of her hoist.

She has limited mobility because of nerve damage affecting her back and leg and relies on a wheelchair most of the time and uses mobility scooter when she goes out.

Ryan's death has left Lisa, a single mother, dependent on her 12-year-old daughter, Jasmine.

She told ITV News: "Ryan did more or less everything in the house and now it’s all been left to Jasmine. She’s just turned 12. It’s a lot for her to be dealing with."

She added: "I don't know how we've done it to be honest. I've got Jasmine to keep me going. I sit in the kitchen staring at a brick wall for hours on end.

"I thought it would get better in time but for me it's just starting."

• The murders were caught on CCTV

Ryan was with friends on Silver Street in Doncaster when a fight broke out with another group in the early hours of 29 January. He suffered a single stab wound and died at the scene. His friend Janis Kozlovskis, 17, was also fatally injured.

Lisa found out the following morning when police knocked at her door.

"[Jasmie and I] just screamed, both of us," she said.

"I can't even think back to those first few weeks. I've been in shock for months. I've been getting heart palpitations, my chest hurts. There is such a thing as a broken heart and that's what I've got."

The attacker, 19-year-old Amrit Jhagra, was jailed in October for a minimum of 24 years after the murders were caught on camera.

Lisa said: "People think that because there were five or six of them it was gang-related, but it wasn't - it was just friends from school who had met up as they do any other night and decided to go out."

She spoke out after new figures showed there were more than 5,000 serious offences involving a knife across Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire from June 2021 to June this year – 11% more than the previous 12 months.

Forces across the country are taking part in an annual crackdown called Operation Sceptre.

Det Supt Dave Cowley, South Yorkshire Police lead for knife crime, said: "In common with a lot of other areas with a similar demographic, we have got levels of knife crime that we're concerned about so I think it's the police and community that need to work together to tackle the issues.

"Officers and investigators see this all too regularly and see the devastation that this causes to families - the victim, obviously, but also the perpetrator."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.