Family of teen Conner Marshall, 18, who was stabbed by druggie on probation have raised money to sue
The attack took place at Trecco Bay Caravan Park in Porthcawl, South Wales
THE family of a murdered teenager who was stabbed by a man on prison probation have said they have raised enough money to launch legal action.
Nadine and Richard Marshall, from Barry, were left devastated after their 18-year-old son Conner was beaten to death in a brutal attack at Trecco Bay Caravan Park in Porthcawl in March 2015.
His killer David Braddon, 26, fuelled by drink and drugs, mistook the popular teenager for his estranged partner’s former boyfriend.
The murderer, from Caerphilly, was jailed for life and told he must serve at least 20 years’ imprisonment.
Conner’s family later learnt Braddon was on community probation for a string of offences – and they say there is evidence of missed opportunities to prevent their son’s death.
Braddon was under supervision at the time of the attack as part of a system which aims to rehabilitate criminals in the community. He was on curfew and ordered to attend anti-drugs and alcohol meetings – but missed several of them.
His previous offences included drug taking, alcohol abuse, domestic violence and animal cruelty, as well as the assault of a police officer.
Wales Community Rehabilitation Company (WCRC) said in a statement that Conner’s death was “not predictable or preventable”.
Nadine previously said the prison sentence made her “blood boil” and that it provided “no consolation whatsoever”.
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Since then, Nadine and the family have been raising money, through a crowdfunding website, to fund legal action against WCRC. They are also seeking statutory requirements for information to be available to families in similar predicaments as themselves.
Nadine said: “Our concern was he [Braddon] wasn’t being supervised robustly enough and they [WCRC] were not following their own guidelines.”
The Marshall family needed to raise £5,000 to initiate legal proceedings but they may need up to £25,000 to fund future costs.
Nadine added: “Our aim is quite widespread. The initial aim is to have statutory requirements for access to information from the rehabilitation service for families, whether they have requested it or not. It’s not even an option at the moment and there are various different avenues we’ve had to go through to get any answer.”
A WCRC spokesman said: “The management of the case has not been linked to the crime committed – the serious further offence report found that Conner’s death was not predictable or preventable.
“After thoroughly reviewing the case, we have strengthened our partnership working between offender managers and intervention providers, ensuring enhanced joint working between agencies to support consistent risk management.”