Mandy Jamieson has said victims of serious violence “deserve to be remembered”
A woman who tragically lost her son after he was stabbed is appealing to Scousers for help. Mandy Jamieson’s son, Daniel Gee-Jamieson, was just 16 when he was stabbed at a park off Belle Vale Road in Gateacre in July 2018.
Daniel was unarmed and stabbed in the leg in front of dozens of onlookers following the pre-arranged “straightener” and later died. Owen Cousins was later found guilty of manslaughter.
Cousins claimed he was forced to fight Daniel and stabbed him in “self-defence” when he attacked him with a knife. However, none of the five teenage witnesses to the fight on The Nook said they saw Daniel with a weapon.
Following the horrific incident, Mandy, from Woolton, set up the charity Danny’s Place in her son’s memory. Since 2021, it has organised a yearly, free remembrance event for victims of serious violence at St George’s Hall, attracting hundreds of people from across the region.
However, the 55-year-old said she was taken by surprise last week when the council told her it could no longer host the event at one of its buildings due to a lack of funding.
A council spokesperson confirmed to the ECHO they will not be hosting the event at a council building this year, however promised to help Mandy find an alternative venue.
Mandy told the ECHO: “I received an email from Liverpool City Council to tell me that unfortunately this year, they haven’t got the funding to pay for premises.
“To be honest, it really upset me. I wasn’t happy with [the council’s decision]. To give them their due, they have paid for the premises for the past five years.
“Radio Merseyside contacted the council and they said they are still supporting me and will try and find somewhere as well, but they haven’t found me anywhere yet.
“It’s getting on now. It’s June, I’ve got acts booked. All the acts don’t charge either. Other families aren’t happy with the fact that we may not be able to do [it] this year.
“It’s a kick in the teeth really because our kids deserve to be remembered, they really do. Unfortunately, we haven’t got any money to pay for it.”
Mandy is not willing to charge people for the event either. She said: “Now, [with] Danny’s place, I have never, ever charged for the work that I do. So when I go into the schools, I do it for free.
“I’ve never taken 10p off anyone. I don’t believe that my son should be made into a business, if that makes sense.”
Mandy is now appealing directly to Scousers for help. She said: “It needs to be [in a central location] for everyone to get to it.
“All I need is a room for between 150 to 200 people for two hours on September 25, which is National Murder Day, to be able to continue doing our yearly event.
“I hope Liverpool can help because they help everyone else in need.”
A spokesperson for Liverpool City Council said: “We have been proud to support the Serious Violence Remembrance event for the last five years. We are reviewing the work to remember victims of serious violence.
“Although we can’t offer one of our own buildings, we have pledged to work with Mandy and Danny’s Place to help them find an alternative venue.”
