'˜He touched everyone's hearts' '“ Hundreds attend funeral of Sheffield stabbing victim Kavan Brissett

Mourners gathered together today to celebrate the life of a young man from Sheffield, tragically stabbed to death in an alleyway.
Hundreds of mourners gathered to pay tribute for Kavan Brissett who was stabbed to death in SheffieldHundreds of mourners gathered to pay tribute for Kavan Brissett who was stabbed to death in Sheffield
Hundreds of mourners gathered to pay tribute for Kavan Brissett who was stabbed to death in Sheffield

Kavan Brisett, 21, was described as an '˜amazing young man' at a service attended by hundreds of his family and friends at Bushfire Ministries on Halifax Road. 

Andy Tiplady, officiating minister and Kavan's former teacher spoke fondly of Kavan, recalling him as '˜an angry young man' at age 11, before he took him '˜under his wing'. 

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He said: 'The lord said to me, just take him under your wing, and that's what I did, from when he was 11-years-old right the way through. And, I can say it was such a privilege to have taught Kavan for all those years, absolute privilege and that is why I became a teacher to reach young men like that. 

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He told mourners about Kavan's love for sport, and how he saw potential in Kavan, and later encouraged him to take up boxing.

He added: 'Because, that's what PE teachers do, we see potential in people and we want to pull it out, and there was so much potential in Kavan I can't tell you. I loved teaching Kavan.

'Kavan was one of the most politeness boys I've ever known. Kavan loved life and he lived it to the full. 

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'Kav was light, and the bible says that we either live in light or we live in darkness, and the people that did this to him, darkness speaks of evil, light speaks of good. 

'And there is evil in this world, and how another man can do this to another man, it seems like Sheffield has gone mad. My question to you is what are we going to do about it? I want to keep his legacy alive, this young man, so this is what I'm going to suggest to you and do you know what we can't all do it, and I can't do this without you but this is what I want to do.

'We're going to have collections at the back of the service, and I want to collect as much money as you can and I'm going to work with Brian and Steve, and we're gonna leave a legacy, because he loved his boxing and I want to get people like his cousin Kearney and other young men that are out on those streets, lets teach these young men to put the knives down and put the gloves on.

'There's been too much killing, so lets get these young men and young women to put the knives down and to put the gloves on, as a legacy, lets get these young men off the streets, they don't have to carry knives.

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'This day and age has gone crazy, when young men are on the streets killing each other and I do not want this man to ever become a statistic, I want his life to be a legacy.'

At the end of the service, Kavan's friends and family were invited to pay their own tributes.

Kavan's auntie said: 'You were an angel to me and always will be. I'm not saying bye but see you soon son. Forever my Kavan.'

Kavan was stabbed in the chest off Langsett Walk, near Upperthorpe on August 21, and received emergency first aid at the scene before paramedics arrived and rushed him to hospital.

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He underwent emergency surgery but could not be saved and his life support machine was turned off four days later.

Detectives are trying to trace 29-year-old Ahmed Farrah over the murder. He has links to Broomhall and it is believed he could hold vital information about the death. Anyone with information about the murder should call South Yorkshire Police on 101 or the incident room on 01709 443507.