Heartbroken partner of Sheffield murder victim vows to fight for killer to spend life behind bars

Lewis Bagshaw was 21 years old when he was chased by teenage drug dealer and now convicted killer, Emar Wiley, on the Southey estate in July 2019.

Wiley, who was 17 when he was jailed for life last year, was ordered to serve a minimum of 16 years behind bars before he can be considered for parole.

But one year on since his conviction at Sheffield Crown Court last March, Wiley's victim’s heartbroken partner, Olivia Keeley, has promised to campaign for the killer to never be released.

“I want him to die behind bars an old man,” she said.

“He had no right to play God and take Lewis’ life and he certainly does not deserve the right to a life after his sentence. I will do all I can to make sure he never gets released.

“How can it be fair that when he is in his 30s he gets his freedom back and is able to carry on as though this never happened? It is wrong.

“He killed somebody in the prime of their life with the world at his feet.”

Olivia, aged 21, said she lives in dread of Wiley one day being allowed back into society and the impact that would have on her son Carter, now three.

The little boy was just one year old when his father was stabbed in his heart by Wiley, who was driven around Sheffield by older drivers to deal drugs in return for him paying their car insurance policies.

Lewis was stabbed following a dispute which arose after his father, Daniel Cutts, was attacked by Wiley and left with a fractured skull.

Choking back tears, Olivia said: “When Carter is 18 he will have to go before the parole board and tell them why Emar Wiley should never be released. He might have to face his father’s killer.

“I will be by Carter’s side and will do everything possible for Wiley to never be released. He has never shown any remorse for what he did.

“It is all those who loved Lewis that are serving the life sentence. There is no escape from this nightmare for any of us.

“Carter had half of his world, half of everything he knew, ripped away from him the night his daddy was killed. He is going to spend the rest of his life suffering, so the person who caused this also needs to suffer.”

Describing how she feels knowing that Wiley may one day walk the streets again, Olivia said: “It makes me feel sick to the stomach.

“I could never ever have imagined this feeling. I have never felt pain like it and to think that Carter may one day bump into him in years to come when they are doing their shopping. It can’t happen.”

She said life is a struggle in the wake of Lewis’ murder, but Carter gives her a reason to live.

“It has been a very, very tough year. It does not get any easier,” said Olivia.

“It is a battle to get through every day, just to get out of bed is hard but I have to for Carter.

“The pain of trying to carry on without Lewis is unimaginable, I can’t explain the devastation caused the night Lewis was killed, how so many lives were ripped apart.”

Olivia has vowed to keep her partner’s memory alive for their son.

“Carter was always a daddy’s boy. He was obsessed with him then and is still obsessed with him now,” she said.

“He talks about him every single day. There is not a day that goes by without Lewis being mentioned.

“He will always be his daddy and Carter will always know how loved he was by him. He is still a massive part of our lives now and always will be.

"Carter is Lewis’ absolute double, a real mini Lewis. It is just heartbreaking.”

Olivia has called for harsher sentences for those who walk the streets armed.

“If you kill someone then life needs to mean life,” she said.

“But on top of that, even if you are caught carrying a knife or other weapon you should get 25 years. If you go out armed you are doing that for one reason only – to kill or seriously hurt somebody. The sentences need to make people think twice about what they are doing.

“I don’t think people realise the consequences of using those knives, of acting the hard man on the streets. There is a domino effect where lives all around are absolutely destroyed – not just the person killed, it is much more far reaching that that. The pain is immeasurable.

“If raising awareness about knife crime saves one life and prevents another family having to suffer like we have then it has to be worth it.”

When Lewis’ killer was jailed last year, the judge in the case Mr Justice Nicklin described the murder as ‘senseless’.

He said Wiley’s involvement in drug dealing had made him ‘desensitised to violence’.

Wiley told a probation officer he sold £7,500 worth of drugs per week.

He began smoking cannabis from the age of 13 or 14 before being recruited to sell drugs.

Anyone with information about those who carry knives should call South Yorkshire Police on 101.

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In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.