2 families have been destroyed.. we want the violence to stop for all children

Family's plea to save more youngsters and their parents going through such pain

- SARAH VESTY

THE mum of a teenager who stabbed a schoolboy to death has spoken of her horror at her son’s crime. 

Hazel Haig's son Daniel was just 16 when he knifed Justin McLaughlin, 14, through the heart at Glasgow's High Street station in October, 2021.

Daniel, now 18, was convicted of Justin's murder last month and will be sentenced in August.

Hazel, 42, is speaking out in support of the Daily Record's Our Kids... Our Future campaign in the hope that no other child will die during a wave of violent attacks among children.

The mum, from Shettleston, Glasgow, told the Record she believes her son would never have killed if more had been done to tackle the epidemic of youth violence in Scotland.

She said Daniel had witnessed his best friend being slashed with a machete in the weeks before he fatally stabbed Justin - and felt forced to arm himself with a knife over fears he would also become a victim of a brutal blade attack.

Hazel said: "We were horrified to discover Justin had died. Daniel clearly lost control because of the violence in our area at the time.

"He was traumatised after seeing one of his friends almost killed by a gang with a machete.

"Kids were organising fights online and there were also random street attacks.

"There were pictures all over social media showing young children holding massive weapons and using gang signs.

"The day before Justin was murdered, Daniel was attacked by a gang of boys. I remember him asking me, 'Mum, where am I going to be safe?'