A 42-year-old mother who turned in her son to police said she would do the same again after he killed a 16-year-old in a car park.
Donna Delbono told Daily Mail that handing her teenage son Joshua over to police was ‘the hardest choice any parent will ever have to make.’
According to reports, Joshua will serve 21 years behind bars for killing Charley Bates, 16, in a pub car park in Somerset.
“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,” the mother-of-seven expressed.
“Even though it was such a tough choice to make, I know I’d do the same again.
“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.”
Joshua, 19, was sentenced to life and told he must serve at least 21 years in prison.
Ms. Delbono’s call to police was played at Bristol Crown Court. 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.”
Describing how her son confided with her, the heartbroken mom said: “Jade (her daughter) said he’d stabbed this boy, who he had never met before, then gone off to bed. I ran straight into his bedroom and turned on the light. Josh was asleep and I was shaking him awake, but when he came to he admitted everything.
“He said he was scared and didn’t know what to do. I 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 dialed 999,” the mom said.
“My son will have to live with this for the rest of his life.”
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