THE wife of murder victim Ian Kirwan has told of her heartbreak two years after her husband was stabbed to death outside Asda in Redditch.

Ian, aged 53, lost his life after being knifed outside the supermarket on Jinnah Road in March 2022.

A 15-year-old boy was convicted of his murder in January 2023, after a trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

This week Ian’s widow Lyndsey Blythe has recalled that fateful day that changed her life forever and saw her husband’s cut tragically short.

Redditch Advertiser: Lyndsey Blythe - Ian Kirwan's wifeLyndsey Blythe - Ian Kirwan's wife (Image: West Mercia Police)

On March 5, 2022, Ian had said goodbye to Lyndsey as he left their home in Redditch to buy a light switch. Heartbreakingly, he never returned home.

When the 53-year-old arrived at the shops, he was confronted by a group of teenagers behaving anti-socially inside the toilets of Asda in the town.

Ian was stabbed in the heart by a 14-year-old boy after challenging their behaviour.

Despite the efforts of members of the public to try to save him, Ian was pronounced dead outside the store.

Lyndsey never saw her husband again.

Today (Monday May 13) she has bravely chosen to speak out publicly for the first time about that most awful day.

Lyndsey said: “Half of me died that day. I shouldn’t know information about how you try to resuscitate a stab wound to the chest or know information about the legal system the way I do. Nobody should hear these things about their husband, about their loved ones, ever.

“Carrying a knife gives you a false sense of security. If no one is carrying a knife, then everyone is safe. I would urge parents to speak to their children, look for changes in their behaviour and talk to them about the repercussions of carrying a weapon.”

Watch the full interview below.

Following a 10-week trial in February 2023, the teenager who stabbed Ian was found guilty of murdering him and was detained for 14-years.

A 16-year-old boy was given a youth rehabilitation order for 36 months (which includes supervision for 36 months) for violent disorder and possession of a knife.

A further two boys, one aged 15 and one 14, were both given a youth rehabilitation order for 24 months (which includes supervision for 24 months) for violent disorder.

None of the four boys can be legally identified because of their ages.

Police have urged members of the public to report concerns about knife crime anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or via the Fearless website fearless.org.