Mother of Reece James from Wembley forgives her son’s killers
Reece James was killed in July last year - Credit: Archant
Father, 21, was shot dead in Bournemouth last July
Jarome Parkinson will be sentenced in July, left, Kieron Wellington was jailed for 16 years - Credit: Archant
The mother of a Wembley man shot dead in Bournemouth said she has forgiven her son’s killers as they start their prison sentences.
Wayne Stephenson and Keifer Hutchinson have both been jailed for 16 years - Credit: Archant
Reece James, 21, was gunned down in the Boscombe area of the seaside resort in Dorset on July 25 last year.
Last week at Winchester Crown Court Kieron Kenroy Wellington, 30, from Bournemouth, and three London men; Wayne Stephenson, 34, Keifer Hutchinson, 23, and Jarome Parkinson, 25, were found guilty of his manslaughter.
Jurors had heard all four had planned the address Mr James was staying at and steal money, drugs or other property when they killed him.
Mr James, who was known as ‘Stylie’, had become a father for the first time.
Wellington, Stephenson and Hutchinson were each sentenced to 16 years in jail.
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Parkinson will be sentenced on July 5 after a pre-sentence report has been prepared.
Paying tribute to her son, Michelle James, who lives in the borough, said: “I come from a strong Christian family and what has held us together is our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In that very same vein the Lord forgave me, so I in turn forgive all those involved in taking Reece away.
“Reece was a loving, caring individual. He was the eldest of all my children and he was very influential in a positive way. He was very much a part of all the decisions I made with my immediate family.
“You can imagine the impact this has had on this family when a link has been removed from a chain, broken. It will never be the same.”
“We will not forget.”
