Richard Taylor death: Campaigner and father of Damilola Taylor dies
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Richard Taylor passed away on Saturday after battling prostate cancer.
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The news has been released that Richard Taylor, who fought for his son Damilola Taylor after his tragic death 24 years ago, has passed away.
In 2000, a tragic incident occurred in south London where a young boy, who was only ten years old, got stabbed in his leg and abandoned in a stairwell. This boy was the son of the victim.
After his son's demise, the ex-Nigerian government employee spent several years committed to bettering the situations of underprivileged children.
On Saturday, a man named Mr Taylor passed away from prostate cancer at the age of 75.
He established the Damilola Taylor Trust with the aim of advocating against the use of knives as weapons.
The family of Mr. Richard Adeyemi Taylor OBE released a statement sharing the sad news of his passing. He was a beloved father, grandfather, and uncle who had been fighting prostate cancer for some time. He passed away in the early hours of Saturday, March 23 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich. The family is deeply saddened by this loss.
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It has been 24 years since Damilola was attacked and wounded by a sharp fragment of a beer bottle.
According to Mr Taylor, his desire is for his son to be known as a symbol of optimism and positivity, with a lasting impact of improved living conditions and chances for disadvantaged youths.
Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour party, was one of the people who expressed their respect for Richard. On X, he shared that Richard worked hard to eliminate limitations to success through the Damilola Taylor Trust, which was established in memory of his son.
Richard's bravery, perseverance, and optimistic views will be commemorated. I send my sympathies to his loved ones and close acquaintances.
Damilola was attacked and injured by someone who used a broken bottle to slash him when he was on his way home from a library in the south-east of London. Unfortunately, he was left to bleed to death in a stairwell located in Peckham.
The passing of the young boy caused a great deal of dismay throughout the country and was regarded as one of the most notable homicides to take place in London.
The Preddie siblings, Ricky and Danny, were sent to prison in 2006 following three trials at the crown court, where they were found guilty of his murder.
Richard Taylor and his wife Gloria were motivated to establish a charitable organization in remembrance of their son after his passing.
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and took a break to focus on personal matters. In the beginning of 2020, Mr Taylor decided to take a step back from his campaigning efforts and devote his attention to private affairs.
In 2012, Mr Taylor was given an OBE for his fight against aggressive crime. He devoted his award to the remembrance of Damilola.
Damilola was murdered on November 27, 2000, just a few months after he and his family - his mother, brother Tunde, and sister Gbemi - relocated from Nigeria to the United Kingdom during the summer of 2000.
Mr Taylor continued in his employment in the Nigerian civil service, and the family made Peckham their home with the intention of securing proper medical attention for Gbemi, who suffered from a serious variant of epilepsy.
Damilola's dreams involve making a career in the medical field for the pursuit of scientific studies that could provide assistance to his sister.
After experiencing a heart attack, Mrs Taylor passed away in 2008, leaving her husband, Mr Taylor, to carry on their work in the years that followed.
In the beginning of 2020, Mr. Taylor expressed to reporters that he had fulfilled his duty for the past twenty years and decided to withdraw from campaigning.
"I've been through a lot in the past two decades," he expressed.
He advocated for the consequences of knife violence and lectured in educational institutions about the despair, deprivation, and agony he and his kinfolk underwent.
He stated that he had encountered members of the royal family, heads of government, top officials in charge of internal affairs, and police representatives in order to effect change. His objective was to ensure that Damilola's name remained at the forefront when it came to policy decisions.
A number of well-known personalities, such as soccer player Rio Ferdinand - who was raised in Peckham - showed their support for the family's charitable efforts.
John Boyega, who played a role in Star Wars, used to be friends with Damilola when they were kids. On the day Damilola died, John and his sister Grace saw him before he headed home. They were some of the last people to have seen him alive.
There were various inquiries that came up after Damilola passed away, which included what factors make youngsters resort to extreme measures of aggression.
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In 2009, Gordon Brown, who was then the prime minister, selected Mr Taylor to serve as an envoy for tackling knife crime.
The Preddie siblings had a history of residing in juvenile residences and were aged 12 and 13 at the time of Damilola's murder.
During the trial at the Old Bailey, a social worker shared that the children were particularly unruly, making it quite difficult to manage them. They consistently attempted to run away, which left the social workers feeling unable to take any further action.
The brothers got punished with eight years detention for juveniles. In 2010, Ricky Preddie was released early and Danny Preddie in 2011.
Even though they were young, both of them did not receive anonymity orders that are usually given to child murderers, which made some activists fighting for fairness frustrated. At one point, Richard Taylor had mentioned that he could not pardon the Preddie siblings.
The Damilola Taylor Trust coordinates various outreach initiatives, such as internship programs, educational classes, and mentorship projects. These efforts were established through the aid of ex-soccer player Ferdinand.
During the year 2017, a TV show produced by BBC named Damilola, Our Loved Boy was created. This series portrayed the hardships faced by the family while seeking justice and received two Baftas as a result.
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Back in 2006, a snapshot captured Mr. and Mrs. Taylor in the wake of the conviction of the Preddie siblings for the charge of manslaughter.
In 2008, Mr. Taylor showed his support for a large protest against knife-related crimes. The march took place in downtown London and attracted thousands of youths. The Ben Kinsella Trust was in charge of leading the demonstration.
Brooke Kinsella, a previous star of the television show EastEnders established the trust. The reason behind the trust’s existence is due to her brother, Ben, being killed from a stab wound in Islington when he was only sixteen years of age.
According to her, the bravery of Mr. Taylor had served as a source of motivation.
Following the devastating tragedy of losing his son Damilola, he decided to direct his anguish towards advocating for a more secure tomorrow.
He transformed a devastating event into an unwavering resolution to prevent other families from enduring the same sorrow.
Someone from the Metropolitan Police said some kind words about Mr. Taylor on X day.
According to the post, the efforts made by him to enhance the quality of life for London's youth as a tribute and lasting memory of his son Damilola are appropriate and will persist.
On the day of X, Harriet Harman, who was once a member of Parliament for Camberwell and Peckham under the Labour Party, also offered her condolences to Mr. Taylor.
According to her, he was always in the forefront fighting to ensure that other kids had opportunities that his own son didn't get.
The member of parliament for Brent Central, Dawn Butler from the Labour party, expressed her sympathies and condolences to the family of Richard Taylor.
On the subject of X, she expressed that he was a remarkable individual and a beloved companion.
"He used to offer me wise and kind words all the time. I will feel his absence. My prayers for him to find eternal peace and reunion with Damilola in the afterlife."
Florence Eshalomi, a Member of Parliament representing Vauxhall, expressed her thoughts on X platform. She stated that Uncle Richard was a resilient individual who safeguarded the values and mission of the Damilola Taylor trust.
I'm going over the message he last sent me, the one where he was discussing the trust's work. He has now found peace alongside his cherished son and spouse.
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