Parents of murdered teenager Ronan Kanda react to latest knife murder convictions with dismay

Father Chander and mother Pooja Kanda spoke in the wake of one of the 12-year-olds convicted this week of murdering Shawn Seesahai in Wolverhampton claiming he got the machete used in the killing from "a friend of a friend". But police said there was some evidence that he had searched for knives online.

Ronan, aged 16, was stabbed to death in Lanesfield in 2022, metres from his home, with a ninja sword bought online by his murderer as well as a machete.

Seventeen-year-olds Prabjeet Veadhesa and Sukhman Shergill were jailed for a total of 34 years for his murder. It had been a case of mistaken identity.

Earlier that day, a ninja sword set and a large machete had been collected from a local post office by one of the defendants who had bought them online.

One of the defendants had already been in police custody but was released.

Mr Kanda said tighter restrictions on him could have prevented him from being on the streets and able to kill his son.

He also called for staff at Post Offices to carry out stricter checks on the ages of people ordering knives and for an end to the mail order trade altogether.

Mr Kanda said: "I believe the police need to prioritise knife crime as a matter of urgency. The situation is getting worse than in the USA where guns are seen as the problem – here it is knives which seem to be carried as a matter of honour almost.

"I have never carried a knife in my life and never felt the need to but today youngsters and others are carrying machetes or so-called zombie knives and I just don't see the need for them other than they have them because they can, or intend to use them.

"As well as the police tightening up on the carrying of knives and making it a priority to prevent it, there needs to be a crackdown on the mail order trade if not to stop it altogether then at least make sure weapons are not getting to under age youngsters.

"Obviously what happened to Ronan is still raw for all of us as a family and it will remain so but at least we and the powers that be can try and prevent further deaths or attacks which seem to be happening at an alarming rate."

Meanwhile Ronan's mother blamed the Government's lax regulations for Mr Seesahai's 12-year-old killers being able to get a sword so easily.

She told the Express & Star after hearing the guilty verdicts of the two 12-year-olds: "It is heartbreaking knowing two children could have again used swords bought online to murder an innocent victim. And especially for it to happen in Wolverhampton, again.

"One of the boys had a picture of a sword on his phone, and search history, this is because even children know they can buy machetes and ninja swords on the internet. It is absolutely disgusting it has happened again."

She added: "We were promised an outright ban by Government but they have allowed the loopholes to stay open which has allowed more children to buy murder weapons. They told us that only one per cent of the swords sold online were used in stabbings, which is just an unbelievable stance, that is one per cent too many. How many grieving parents are created because of that one per cent?

"After all the publicity around Ronan and so many other children who have been murdered with machetes, knives and swords bought online 247 Conservative MPs voted against the bill for an outright ban of the online sale of these killer knives, I have all their names. I will be reminding them of their vote now these two 12-year-olds have been found guilty."

"Two 12-year-olds being convicted of murder shows something is seriously wrong in so many ways, but knowing they can get their hands on murder weapons because of inaction is something that can be solved."