Convicted murderer leads anti-knife campaign with film to be shown in schools
A convicted murderer is leading a police anti-knife campaign from prison by featuring in a film to be shown in schools.
Sadam Essakhil talks about the consequences of carrying a weapon as part of the campaign being run by West Midlands Police.
Essakhil was aged just 15 when he and a friend murdered a 24-year-old man and seriously injured another, with a knife taken from his kitchen drawer in Handsworth, Birmingham, in May 2015.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 19 years.
It's believed to be the first time a UK police force has filmed with a killer behind bars for a campaign of this kind.
The film will be shown in Midlands' schools in attempt to change the culture of some young people who think it’s acceptable to carry a knife.
In the interview Essakhil, now aged, talks about how many young people face getting involved with the ‘wrong crowd’, prioritising friends over family and feeling the need to carry a weapon for protection.
He also says the consequences of using a knife can be devastating for many people's lives.
Essakhil said: "The reason I carried a knife that evening was for my own protection. There was no intention on that day to go out and hurt anyone. The victim wasn’t known to me and I sincerely regret what I did on that evening and always think about the victim and his family as they will never get to see him again."
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