Family of Preston murder victim Jonjo Highton mark 9 years since young dad was stabbed to death

Jonjo was just 18 when he was ambushed by a gang of six young men and hacked to death in St Stephen's Road, Deepdale in 2014.

Armed with a samurai sword, axes and knives, the balaclava-clad men – aged between 19 and 34 – preyed on Jonjo as he walked home alone from a pub at around 11.20pm on August 23, 2014.

He was mobbed by the men who left him for dead, suffering horrific wounds to his neck, face and body.

The tragic events leading up to and following his tragic death were reconstructed last week in an episode of true crime series ‘Murdered for Revenge’ on freeview channel 5STAR.

Tomorrow (Wednesday, August 23), Jonjo’s family will mark nine years since his death, as all six of his killers remain behind bars. They are currently serving minimum terms ranging from 29 to 20 years. Prosecutors said it was impossible to say who delivered the fatal wound so all six were charged with murder.

Jon-Jo’s brother Byron founded the JJ Effect following his sibling’s death to educate young people about the dangers of knife crime. He has visited schools, youth groups and worked alongside police to raise awareness of the life-shattering effects knife crime can have on families, including his own.

You can find the JJ Effect on Facebook here.