British boxer Tyson Fury called on the government on Sunday to act to stop the stabbing attacks he described as a “pandemic”, announcing the death of his cousin Rico Burton.
“My cousin was murdered last night, stabbed in the neck, this is getting ridiculous. Idiots have knives on them. This has to stop,” the WBC heavyweight world champion said in an Instagram post.
“The UK government must impose tougher sentences for knife crime as soon as possible, it’s a pandemic and you don’t know how bad it is until (it affects) one of your own !”, he continued on the same social network.
“RIP RICO BURTON, may the Lord God grant you a good place in heaven,” added Tyson Fury, quoting his cousin’s name.
During a press conference, Greater Manchester Police official Ben Ewart confirmed that Mr Burton had died on Sunday morning after being stabbed in Altrincham (north England) during an incident in which a 17-year-old boy was also seriously injured.
“Everything suggests at this point that (Mr Burton) was enjoying a night out with friends and it happened spontaneously and unpremeditated — it’s a very tragic end to what should have been a great night out with friends,” commented Mr. Ewart.
Greater Manchester Police have opened a murder investigation and two men, aged 20 and 21, have been arrested and both taken into custody, the official said.
Police-recorded knife offenses in England and Wales rose by 10% in the year ending March 2022 to 49,027, according to the National Statistics Office. against 44,642 the previous year.