Dursley stabbing: Joshua Hall's parents urge others to 'learn lessons' after son's death

The parents of murdered teenager Joshua Hall have said they hope other parents will learn an 'urgent and desperate lesson' from their son's murder.

Joshua Hall died on 16 April after being stabbed at Cam sports ground, near Dursley, following a disagreement with another teenager.

Today (3 November) a 16-year-old was found guilty of his murder at Gloucester Crown Court following a trial which lasted more than two weeks.

The teenager - who cannot be named for legal reasons - believed Joshua had insulted him and members of his family, Gloucester Crown Court heard.

Jurors were told the pair had arranged to meet up to "sort out their differences" but the killer, who was aged 15 at the time, was armed with a knife.

The 16-year-old boy had denied murder and told the court he was trying to "warn" Josh away with the knife, and that he "didn't mean to stab him".

After today’s guilty verdict, Joshua's parents said: "We feel all parents need to learn an urgent and desperate lesson to take closer notice and involvement in the lives of their young people, in particular on social media.

"Similarly far too many lives are being destroyed by knives, with social media an aggravating factor.

They continued: "The circumstances of Josh’s stabbing are so deeply shocking - a small sleepy Gloucestershire town, a sunny mid-afternoon in April and a young man carrying a butcher's knife for months beforehand.

"Parents and communities cannot rely on the authorities to provide a moral education to their children.

They described Joshua as "a source of light and beauty" for the family.

"We will continue to share our pride that Josh spread love and helped people greatly, despite his youth. We will continue to tell our youngest how amazing a person and brother Josh was", they added.

"We would like to thank the Major Crime Team at Gloucestershire Constabulary as well as the Crown Prosecution Service. We will be eternally grateful for all they have done and the passion and commitment shown in getting justice for Josh.

"We would also like to thank the young witnesses who gave evidence under intense scrutiny and chose to do the right thing, we are proud of you and our family thank you."

As part of a national campaign, Gloucestershire Constabulary is running a knife and firearms surrender which will run from Monday 8 November.

The public will be able to hand in knives at drop-off bins located at police stations across the county.