After the brutal Murder of her son in 2003 Barbara Dunne set up the mothers against knives campaign
That led to the ban of lethal weapons that serve no purpose in our society below is Barbara's story.
On January the 11th 2003 I was thrown into a world I didnt know existed, a world that was here to stay a living nightmare.
At appox 3.20pm that day my son was murdered he was stabbed in the back with a replica Samurai sword one of a set of 3 they were classed as ornimental. I was at home looking after his son that day who was 9 months old.
I knew he had endured some anti-social behaviour from a gang some who had just moved into the close knit community.
They harrassed people caused damage and injury my son Robert would stand up to them and tried to move them on from causing distress to people and himself.
Because he did this he endured 2 years of anti-social behavour, he was threatened with a knife had his car stolen 3/4 times, had fires lit outside his house, stones thrown at his windows, spat at while pushing his son in his pram.
On the day he was murdered he was on his way to the post office 2 younger thugs approached him and started a conflict Robert was trying to get in his friends car.
The person who killed Rob was not at the scene, he pulled up out side his house and shouted something down the road to Rob, Rob answered him and carried on moving things to get in the car.
The killer went into his house took the smallest of a ornimental Samurai sword set off the wall the 12inch bladed one, told his girlfriend to lock the doors and go upstairs.
As Rob was moving things to get in the car the 2 younger ones came up on each side of him and punched him in the head and side, as they backed away the killer who had ran down the street with the sword plunged it into the left side of Robs back.
It went in right up to the hilt at a downward angle.
The sword went through Rob'S ribs cut through his lung, went into the left chamber of his heart and left a wound you could get your finger in.
It severed through vertabras in his back then cutting the main circulation artery known as the Aorta, he bled torrential from his mouth he was unconcious in seconds followed very shortly by death.
His friend who was facing him discribed the scene very fast in reality, but in his eyes it was a slow sad ending of a man who he had great admiration for.
Rob was trying to cope with the blood coming out of his mouth terrified he manage to say Love Mam, Love son, his dying words.
I was at home while this happened I got a call to say Rob was in the hospital when I arrived there I was hysterical screaming wheres my son.
He was already dead, the last time I saw him alive was the friday, the day before the murder.