'We're far too soft on crime': Caller wants stricter laws after double stabbing in London

28 November 2022, 17:03

Caller: 'We're far too soft on crime'

Madeleine Wilson

By Madeleine Wilson

This caller wants UK laws for drug dealing and carrying knives to be stricter after two 16-year-old boys were fatally stabbed in south-east London on Saturday afternoon.

This caller spoke with Shelagh Fogarty about UK crime after two 16-year-old boys who were fatally stabbed just a mile apart in south-east London on Saturday afternoon.

Kearne Solanke was stabbed to death in Greenwich on Saturday alongside Charlie Bartolo, with police saying the two fatal stabbings - which took place around one mile apart - are linked.

The devastated friends and family of one of the teenagers have paid tribute to their loved one, describing him as a "beautiful boy".

It was reported earlier this year that crimes recorded in England and Wales hit a 20-year high, while charges fell to a record low.

The caller started by telling Shelagh that after working with vulnerable people he believes that a lot of crime is "drug-related" and he think this has become a "normalised culture" in the UK.

He said: "We are far too soft on crime. We're far too soft on drug dealers and drug dealers wreck people's lives."

The caller told Shelagh: "In my opinion, if you deal in drugs you get a very lengthy sentence full stop - and if you carry a knife and you get caught you go to prison."

Read more: 'Devastated' family pays tribute after two boys, 16, stabbed to death less than one mile apart in South London

Read more: Double murder probe as two teenagers, 16, stabbed to death a mile apart from each other

He said: "Take New York, for example, they had a massive crime problem in New York and the only way it was solved was by coming down hard on criminals and having more police.

"If you've got a system where drug dealers are given short sentences without a proper deterrent you're not going to do it with that you have to say enough is enough you're going to prison."

Shelagh asked: "But is the answer to send a 15-year-old who's selling weed on the street corners to Feltham Young Offender Institution?

The caller said: "No, I think that age bracket you'd have to do something else, but you'd have to do something that's a bit of a wake-up call, and also you have to be careful because some of them have been groomed.

"But with adults that sell drugs, they should have a lengthy sentence.

"Politically it's a win-win, I don't know why the government doesn't say that's what's going to happen.

"Any adults that deal in drugs create so much misery for people and a lot of it is linked to knife crime over the last 20 years."

More Shelagh Fogarty News

See more More Shelagh Fogarty News

The Princess of Wales says she edited the photograph that was released to mark Mother's Day.

The insistence that we see Kate is tantamount to stalking, writes Shelagh Fogarty

Caller tells Shelagh his solution to illegal immigration.

LBC caller tells Shelagh Fogarty that the Channel islands are the answer to 'illegal immigration'

'Rishi Sunak chooses to do the self interested party politics': Shelagh Fogarty reflects on Tories' immigration policies

'Rishi Sunak chooses to do the self-interested party politics': Shelagh Fogarty reflects on Tories' migration policies

Shelagh Fogarty

Former Treasury official outlines 'three immediate priorities' likely to be reflected in Autumn Statement

Shelagh Fogarty

Suella Braverman's hardline crime bill seems like she's ‘interviewing' for career at ‘pathetic’ news channels, says caller

Shelagh and caller Sam

Anti-Semitic chants and actions 'delegitimize' pro-Palestinian cause asserts this Shelagh Fogarty caller

Shelagh and Ricardo Dos Santos

'It's sickening': Ricardo Dos Santos speaks to Shelagh Fogarty as two officers sacked over stop and search

Shelagh

Rishi Sunak has 'failed monumentally' to 'humanise' both sides of the Israel-Hamas conflict says Israel expert

Shelagh and Callum

Twitter is a 'particularly dangerous' place to get information now says the Centre for Countering Digital Hate

Shelagh and caller Simon

LBC caller details 'disgusting anti-Semitic' act he witnessed, as hate crimes rise in fall out of Israel-Hamas war

Sister of missing Israeli woman

'We hope she's hiding somewhere': Sister of missing Israeli festival goer fears she is being held hostage by Hamas

Distraught caller on Israel-Gaza conflict.

'This is a war against Hamas!': Distraught caller wants Israel and Palestine to take down the 'enemy' together

Shelagh and Alicia Kearns

Head of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee expresses concern over Israeli 'siege of Gaza'

Shelagh Fogarty caller on facial recognition.

This caller lacks 'trust' in the government's handling of the AI facial recognition debate

Shelagh condemns PM's comments on 'dignity' of the elderly.

'He painted a picture of a Britain that the Conservatives meant to build...': Shelagh Fogarty condemns PM's suggestion that elderly have 'dignity'

Shelagh Fogarty on Jenrick

'We're full aren't we?': Shelagh questions Robert Jenrick's motive behind encouraging Brits to increase birth rate