'Just put the knives down', plea of Newcastle stab victim Gordon Gault's cousin

The cousin of a 14-year-old schoolboy who was fatally stabbed has made a plea for young people to "put the knives down".

Gordon Gault, from Newcastle, was stabbed in the Elswick Road area of the city on Wednesday 9 November and died six days later.

Speaking just days after saying goodbye to her cousin in hospital, Faith Goodwin, told ITV Tyne Tees: "It’s absolutely soul destroying what’s happened. I wouldn’t wish this on any other family.

"If I could pass one message on from our family and for the word to get out, it would be that it takes two seconds to use a knife, but it ends up leading to a lifetime of suffering for family members on both sides and it’s just horrific."

She described Gordon as "the rock of our family" after he had lost his own dad five years ago and said he leaves a massive hole in the family.

She said: "He was remarkable. There was just no-one like him. He just lit up every room he walked into. He just never wasn’t smiling. You’ve just never, ever met anybody like him. He just had an impact on so many people’s lives and especially at 14, I’ve never come across anyone at the age of 14 like Gordon.

"He was the rock of our family when his dad died five years ago. The biggest loss we’ll ever, ever have. I don’t know how we’ll ever get over it. I don’t think we ever will, but we’ll just have to like keep going. We know he’s with his dad and I think that’s what gives us peace as a family."

Police have conducted searches during the past week and arrested 14 people, including 11 on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. During that time, Faith has been with Gordon’s mum by his hospital bedside.

Holding back the tears, she said: "It was horrific. We just prayed we could leave the hospital with him, that’s all we wanted.

"Then they had to turn the machine off. That was just… it was horrendous. His mam was lying next to him, cuddling him. His nannas were there, his auntie, me, his sister and his brother and we just never, ever wanted to leave without him. It was just horrible."

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