Josh was known for not staying in or being in the same place for too long and, apart from when he was sleeping he was constantly on the go. I know that he would have still been working during the lockdown as he would have been a key worker who was providing an essential service.…
On 5th March the Government released the new consultation on improving the Victims’ Code. The Code is a statutory Government document which sets out the minimum level of services that victims of crime should receive from criminal justice agencies and other organisations in England and Wales. It enables victims to receive the information they need…
Today marks four years and seven months since Josh was taken from me by Shane O’Brien. A man with 17 previous convictions and who was known to the police. A prolific offender or a hardened criminal is a term that I have used for him when sharing Josh’s story in schools and colleges, but I…
Hello everyone, I hope that you are well, that you are keeping safe and coping in such emotionally challenging times. Since the start of the Coronavirus and the first cases that were confirmed at the end of January in the UK and the continued escalation of deaths each day since, I have been experiencing a…
Staying focused is not easy as every minute of every waking day is filled with thoughts of Josh. The thoughts are mostly painful as I relive what happened to him over and over again with no respite. However, on the 11th of every month I not only relive these thoughts but I work through the…
Josh’s lucky number was 4 and today mark’s 4 years and 4 months without him here with us. I stayed up until the early hours of this morning and replayed what happened to him over and over again on the 11th of October 2015 while talking to him and to God. I always ask the…
Imagine not being told that you can appeal a sentence even if the professionals around you at the time of sentencing don’t think that it will be accepted as unduly lenient (their opinions). Well that is what happened to me and is no doubt what is happening to thousands of more people like me everyday.…
I entered 2020, with an almighty bump, in-spite of the promises that I had made to myself, to God and to Josh in my prayers, which was to hit the ground running from day one, I face planted. I had made a deal that I would keep fighting injustices and work hard to make positive…
As Christmas fast approaches I dread it more and more. And having space and time alone with my memories of Josh while focusing on the happy times that we shared together throughout the 21 years and 8 months of his short life, breaks my heart. I never got to share Josh’s 21st Christmas with him,…
