Archie Beston: Mother of ‘perfect teenager’ stabbed to death in Kingston calls for knife possession crackdown

Archie Beston, pictured with his mother Becky, was stabbed to death in Kingston
Handout

The mother of a “perfect teenager” stabbed to death on a night out by a habitual knife carrier today called for a change in the law.

Tyrone Bryan, 20, was jailed for 19 years yesterday for the manslaughter of former youth footballer Archie Beston, 19, in Kingston.

Archie’s mother Becky Beston, 39, told the Standard Bryan regarded himself as “an untouchable who laughed at the law”, adding: “For years, people had been reluctant to give evidence against him because of his reputation for carrying knives.

“But without a blade, Bryan’s a pathetic coward in a tiny pond. The justice system needs to change. There’s no deterrent for carrying knives.”

Mrs Beston is campaigning for a whole-life term for anyone convicted of killing with a knife and an automatic five-year sentence for possession.

Archie, from Barnes, had been out with friends when a van was deliberately driven towards him and another teenager outside the John Lewis store at 3.40am on February 29. In the aftermath, Archie was knifed in the heart by Bryan, whose accomplice Finlay Ahwan, 21, was behind the wheel.

Tyrone Bryan was sentenced to 19 years in prison
Metropolitan Police

Bryan also stabbed the second victim, 19, Kingston crown court heard.Police and members of the public fought to save Archie’s life before paramedics arrived in Clarence Street. He died six days later in hospital.

Bryan, of Kingston, was detained by security staff from The Viper Room nightclub. Ahwan, of Worcester Park, was arrested the next day. It emerged today that a murder charge against Ahwan was discontinued in July last year. He was accused of stabbing Malik Chattun, 22, to death in a brawl on an estate in Kingston in August 2018.

Mrs Beston praised Archie as her “only child and best friend” who “was pure joy”. He played football for   Brentford and Millwall’s youth teams from the age of 16.

Shop stylist Mrs Beston and her son were so inseparable they both worked at Marks and Spencer in Kew and holidayed in Ibiza.

She wept: “Everything has stopped since Archie died. I wake up in the morning and the first thing I do is sit on his bed and fall asleep. I do the same every day. I just need to be close to him. There’s nothing else to live for.

“We thought our family was so far removed from knife crime blighting London. When Archie wasn’t at work, he’d be in the gym every night Monday to Friday. He was the perfect teenager. Beautiful inside and out.”

Bryan was also sentenced to three years for grievous bodily harm on the second victim and 18 months for possessing an offensive weapon. The sentences will run concurrently.

Ahwan was found guilty of attempted GBH and dangerous driving. He was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Mrs Beston thanked Detective Chief Inspector Helen Rance, prosecution lawyers and the judge for securing the men’s severe sentences.  

DCI Rance, of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “This sentencing is the culmination of our investigation into the tragic and needless death of a young man.

“Archie had never been in any sort of trouble with the police.

“Bryan used a knife to attack an unarmed teenager while Ahwan’s weapon of choice was a two tonne van. Both had previous convictions for offences including possession of a knife.

“Only they will know why they attacked Archie.

“No sentence can provide comfort for a family - Archie’s mother lost not only her son but her best friend.

“His family have shown such dignity over the past eight months, and the thoughts of my team remain with them.”

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