This year just like 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 it has been just as hard to navigate the criminal justice system as a victim of crime. If anything, every year seems to get harder especially as I learn more and more about a system that is set up to fail victims. I discovered I…
For as long as I can remember I have always been aware of the importance of doing what is right. I have always stood up for those who are being mistreated and those who might not be able to stand up for themselves. And when the same treatment has been returned to me I have…
One year ago today SOB was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 26 years for the brutal murder of my Son. There he was right next to me, the man who took my child’s life. This was the first day of the trial which should have been three weeks. However, the trial…
Today marks five years that I have lived without Josh and, 1,825 days, 43,800 hours and 2,628,000, Josh has been denied his best life. As I write this blog, I am re-living five years ago at this time. I was standing across the road from where Josh lay waiting for the forensic team to come…
The 11th day of every month and for the rest of my life I will associate it with Josh’s last. Some days are much harder to cope with than others. This is because I live with Trauma, PTSD and Complicated Grief, all of which are debilitating, and impact on all areas of my life as…
Before Josh was murdered and denied his right to life, when he was taken from me and from all those who love him, I never truly understood the profound depth or impact that such an unresolvable and final act had on the secondary victims of crime, and no one more so than that of a…
Sitting still and taking time out for just 10 minutes a day can help us to connect with ourselves and reduce stress. Eating healthy and exercising regularly also helps us to cope with a host of mental health issues from anxiety, panic disorder and depression. Thinking positive thoughts and setting goals and tasks help with…
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.…
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…