Family pay tribute to ‘loving and caring son’ stabbed to death in Greater Manchester

The family of a 17-year-old boy stabbed to death in Greater Manchester have paid tribute to their “loving and caring son”.

Yousef Ghaleb Makki, who has also been described as a “bright” and “dedicated student”, died after he was attacked in a quiet, affluent street in Hale Barns on Saturday evening.

The teenager is said to have dreamed of becoming a heart surgeon.

His family said in a statement: “Yousef was a loving and caring son and brother and he meant the world to his family.

“He was a sporty young man, a dedicated student and so bright.

“He had everything to look forward to. We are absolutely devastated and cannot believe that our son has gone.

“This senseless loss has affected the whole community.”

:: UK’s surge of violence: At least 35 stabbed to death this year

Two other boys, both also 17, remain in police custody on suspicion of murder. Detectives had been granted another 24 hours to question them.

Yousef, from Burnage in Manchester, is thought to have won a scholarship to get his place at the £12,000-a-year Manchester Grammar School.

His family’s statement added: “(He) had only phoned home hours earlier to say that he would be home for his tea, but the next knock at the door were officers with the tragic news, it is every parent’s worst nightmare.

“We would appeal to anyone with information to contact the police and to help us find out what has happened on Saturday evening.

“Only recently had we talked about his promising life ahead of him and how he was looking forward to life. He was a promising student and loved by everyone.”

Police were called at around 6:40pm on Saturday to reports a teenager had been stabbed on Gorse Bank Road.

Yousef was taken to hospital but died a short time later.

Officers investigating the teenager’s death have seized two mountain bikes close to where he was killed.

Flowers have been left on the tree-lined street where he was found.

A fundraising page for Yousef’s family raised almost £11,000 of its £15,000 target in just 11 hours.

Yousef was killed the day after Jodie Chesney, who was also 17, was stabbed to death in a park in Romford, east London.

Friends of Jodie have paid tribute to a girl who was “amazing” and “always smiling”.

The teenager was playing music with five friends on Friday night when she was approached by two men.

One of them stabbed her in the back before the pair fled.

Ashleigh Morphew, who attended Havering Sixth Form College with Jodie, described her as “the most lovely person”.

She told Sky News: “Every time I saw her in college she would always make my day so much happier.

“She was always smiling and she would just make everyone in the room glow because of how happy she was.

“She is the last person I would expect to have something this violent happen to her. She didn’t deserve it all. She was the most lovely person.”

Jodie was the 18th person to be killed in London this year and the first teenage female victim.

Theresa May has rejected claims that falling numbers of police due to funding cuts are fuelling knife crime.

“If you look at the figures, you’ll see that there’s no correlation between certain crimes and police numbers,” said the PM.

Mrs May added: “A lot of this is gang-related, some of it will be drugs-related, there are a wide variety of issues that need to be addressed here and that’s what the government is doing”.

Labour’s Yvette Cooper, chair of parliament’s home affairs committee, has accused the government of not having the “right sense of urgency” on the issue.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Home Secretary Sajid Javid said: “There is no hiding from this issue… serious violence is on the rise, communities are being torn apart, and families are losing their children.”

Mr Javid will chair a meeting of police chiefs on Wednesday, including chief constables from the areas most affected by knife crime.

(c) Sky News 2019: Family pay tribute to ‘loving and caring son’ stabbed to death in Greater Manchester