Mum who turned her killer son into police has ‘no regrets’
A woman has spoken out about making ‘the hardest choice any parent will ever have to make’ after reporting her teenage son to police for killing a 16-year-old boy.
Joshua Delbono stabbed Charley Bates with a knife multiple times in a car park in the town of Radstock, Somerset, over a £20 debt.
Hours later, when he returned home in Frome, his sickened mum, Donna, phoned 999.
The 42-year-old told the Daily Mail she has no regrets – and would do the same again.
‘I was brought up to know the difference between right and wrong, and to always try to do the right thing in life, no matter how hard it is. Even though it was such a tough choice to make, I know I’d do the same again,’ she said.
‘I couldn’t have lived with myself if I’d chosen instead not to call the police. I feel terrible that Charley Bates lost his life and my sympathies go out to his family.’
The mum-of-seven’s call to the police was played in Bristol Crown Court earlier this week.
The jury heard her say: ‘My son’s killed someone. It was at Radstock earlier. He’s just come back and I’ve found out. He’s in my house now but I can’t let him go anywhere.’
The operator then asked the mum if her son was aware of the ongoing call and she responded: ‘Yeah, he’s here. I’ve told him I’ve got to do it.’
Donna had just returned home after a night out with friends when he confided in her what had happened.
Joshua told her he was ‘scared’ and ‘didn’t know what to do’, but she said ‘there was only one thing he could do – hand himself in to the police’.
‘But he said he was too terrified, so I said if he wouldn’t call them, I would. He just nodded. So I grabbed my phone and dialled 999,’ Donna added.
‘My son will have to live with this for the rest of his life.’
The court heard Joshua killed Charley after a fight between two groups broke out in July last year.
The victim suffered a stab wound to his chest and to his arm and was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later.
His killer fled the scene, heading to Shearwater Lake where he burned the clothes he had been wearing during the attack.
After seven hours of deliberations, a jury found Joshua guilty of murder on Tuesday.
The 19-year-old has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years.
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