A grieving mother who held her dying son in her arms on the street after he was fatally stabbed has expressed her deep regret for not being the one to perish instead of him.
Sylvia Welsh described how her life shattered the night her eldest son, Reece Allen, 24, was enticed from their home and viciously killed in a frenzied knife attack a decade ago in North Shields. This marks the first time she has publicly shared the trauma she endured and the ongoing pain she faces daily.
“I wish it had been me instead of Reece. I think about it every day. I would have preferred it to be me. It feels like I died 10 years ago and nothing has been the same since. The entire family is grappling with this void,” Sylvia expressed.
Reece was stabbed multiple times by Joe Welsh, a violent individual who broke a window at Sylvia’s residence in the early hours of January 25, 2016, to lure Reece outside. Sylvia followed him and found her son fatally injured.
“I didn’t realize he had been stabbed multiple times. He was bleeding, and his breathing became labored. I kept urging him, ‘Come on Reece, it’s mom, stay with us’,” she recounted.
Despite her efforts, Reece succumbed to his injuries hours later. Sylvia, now 54, revealed the haunting memory of encountering the man who would later kill her son. She vividly recalls the details of that night, a recollection that continues to haunt her.
Describing the events leading to Reece’s death, Sylvia explained how Welsh, a stranger to her, provoked a series of events that culminated in the tragedy. Reece, who was protective of his mother, confronted Welsh after he vandalized Sylvia’s property, unaware of the danger he faced.
Welsh, known for his violent history, instigated a confrontation with Reece following a dispute on Facebook. In a fit of rage fueled by drugs and alcohol, Welsh deliberately provoked Reece, ultimately leading to the fatal outcome.
Despite Welsh receiving a life sentence with a minimum of 25 years, Sylvia remains tormented, feeling isolated from the world. She emphasized the profound impact of knife crime, asserting that no one emerges unscathed from such tragedies.
Reflecting on the loss of Reece, Sylvia highlighted the daily struggle she faces, with the absence of her son a constant reminder. She expressed the challenges of coping with everyday tasks and emphasized the importance of family support in navigating through her grief.
Reece had been on the cusp of a new chapter in his life, awaiting job opportunities and planning to move into his own place. Sylvia’s cautionary words underscore the far-reaching consequences of knife violence, urging against the carrying of weapons under any circumstance.