‘Living nightmare’: Son of Sheffield murder victim spends second birthday at dad’s graveside
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Lewis Bagshaw, aged 21, was chased by his killer and knifed in his chest on the Southey estate in July last year.
The dad-of-one was taken to hospital but despite medics battling to revive him, he could not be saved.
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Hide AdLewis was killed by a 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and who is due to be sentenced later this month – nearly one year to the day that he callously plunged a knife into Lewis’ heart.
The killer, who was carrying a knife, was a drug dealer who was driven around Sheffield by older drivers in return for him paying their car insurance policies.
He will find out the minimum number of years he has to spend behind bars for his crime on July 20.
Lewis’ long-term partner, Olivia Keeley, 21, described the last year as a ‘living nightmare’ and ‘nothing but hell’.
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Hide AdThe mum-of-one, whose son Carter turned two in May, spent the toddler’s birthday at Lewis’ graveside with their child.
“I got a cake, sang happy birthday and we took Carter’s balloons to his daddy’s grave to let them off there. We had a massive party last year when Lewis was here, but not this year, nothing will ever be the same,” she said.
"The last year has been a living nightmare, nothing but hell. It’s just me and Carter now and every day he asks for his daddy and I don’t know what to say.
“We miss him every day. We sit and watch videos of Lewis every day and look at photos. He is everywhere in the house, everywhere you look there is another picture. Carter will forever know who is dad is and he would still have him today if it had not been for that evil crime.”
She described Lewis as an ‘amazing dad’ to their young son.
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Hide Ad“He was the best person I have ever seen in a dad’s role. He was an amazing dad,” Olivia said.
“I count my blessings every day that he is the father of my child and that he gave me Carter. This little boy is the only reason I am here today, he gives me a purpose and something to carry on for.
“I see Lewis in him every day in so many different ways – from his walk, to the way he sleeps, his mannerisms. He is like a bull in a china shop like his dad, it is uncanny.
“It breaks my heart that Lewis only got a year with Carter. He was so looking forward to the milestones – teaching him to ride a bike, playing football together, his first day at school.
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Hide Ad“Instead, when I applied for a place at nursery recently, it asked for the names of parent one and parent two. I had to leave parent two blank.”
Olivia, who plans to attend court to watch Lewis’ killer get sentenced, said she doubts that he understands the consequences of his actions.
“Where would I start if I was tell tell him what he has done to my family? He won’t have a clue as to the magnitude of his actions - the night he took Lewis’ life he took part of mine, Carter's, his mum’s his nannan’s...everyone who loved him,” said Olivia.
“If I was to describe him I would say he is nothing but a piece of garbage in the shape of a human being. He can’t have a heart with what he did that night.
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Hide Ad“I think he thinks he is a hard man, clever. He showed no remorse at all during the trial, he just sat there with a smile on his face.”
Pleading with others who carry knives to think twice, Olivia said: “It is too normal these days, it is what they all think they should do.
“Lewis never carried a knife and he had his whole life in front of him, he was at the start of the best part of his life and I want to make sure he has not died in vain.
“The law needs to change. Anyone caught with a knife needs to be locked up there and then. No second chances. The justice system has to treat knife carrying more seriously so that people are scared to do it.
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Hide Ad“Anyone who goes out with a knife, I beg them to think about the families they will destroy if they use that weapon.
“I have never known pain like this, I did not know it was possible to hurt this much, to want someone so much, to miss someone so much.
“Those few minutes in which Lewis was chased and stabbed as he ran for his life changed everything and I hope who did it pays for it with the longest sentence possible although nothing will ever bring Lewis back or make up for what happened to him.
“I will do all I can to make sure that nobody forgets him and the justice system needs to make people pay when they try to play God and choose when people die.”