Question Time falls silent as man shares story about pal stabbed to loss of life

The audience of BBC’s Question Time fell silent as a man welled up to talk about his friend who was recently stabbed to death.

Audience member Steven asked the panel: “Just three weeks ago in my home town of Nuneaton my friend was stabbed and killed outside a shopping centre.

“A 16-year-old has been arrested and charged. You all say you’re going to increase police presence to try and tackle anti-social behaviour and knife crime but what else are you going to do about it.”

The friend Steven was referring to was Tom Ellis, a 25-year-old “keen sportsman” who was fatally knifed outside the Ropewalk shopping centre in Nuneaton, Warwickshire on June 8.

Last week his family paid tribute to him, speaking of his love of bright clothes, his extensive shoe collection and iconic hairstyle.

“His unique style, infectious personality, and love for crazy music made him an unforgettable presence in the lives of everyone who knew him,” his family said.

“Words cannot express the depth of our grief and the void that Tom’s passing has left in our lives. We take comfort in knowing that his spirit will live on through the countless lives he touched and the memories we will forever cherish.”

The keen and competitive sportsman “was an invaluable member of every team, always giving his all and inspiring those around him,” they added.

“The love he shared with his partner, Lex, was evident to everyone who saw them together. They had just begun to plan their future—a future that has been tragically cut short.”

Two teen boys, aged 14 and 15, were arrested on suspicion of murder and later released on police bail. A 13-year-old boy who was arrested later was also released on bail.

Warwickshire Police said at the time: “Of the four arrests, one (a 15-year-old boy) has been released without further action, and the other two (a 14-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy) have been released on bail.

In addition to the previous four arrests, another 13-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of murder on 11 June.” They added that “a 16-year-old boy from Nuneaton has been charged with murder.”

Detective Inspector Gareth Unett said: “‘The thoughts of Warwickshire Police continue to be with the family and friends of Tom, during this incredibly difficult time.

“I’d like to thank the officers and police staff who have worked long hours to help get us to the point of charging a suspect. I would also like to thank the community for all their support, and continue to appeal for anyone with information to get in touch. Court proceedings are now active, so I would also like to remind everyone that due to the defendant’s age they legally have anonymity, and that any attempt to breach this anonymity would compromise the trial. It’s important we now allow the criminal justice process to perform its role.”

Earlier this week, Keir Starmer vowed to halve knife crime within a decade, a pledge repeated by Labour’s Yvette Cooper on tonight’s show.

The Labour leader will make cutting knife crime a “moral mission” if he wins next week’s General Election and pledge the strongest action in a generation to stamp it out. Families of victims and survivors of knife crime will be called in to shape Labour’s plans, joining online retailers, politicians and community groups in a push to drive down crimes.

Police recorded nearly 50,000 knife offences in the year to December 2023 in England and Wales, a rise of 7% on the previous year, according to the Office for National Statistics. Alarming figures show the number of robberies involving a knife or sharp incident rocketed by 20% over this period.