YOUTHS have been urged in the strongest terms to "give up the knives" after a young Wrexham man was handed a life sentence for killing his friend with one.

The message comes from anti-knife campaigner Danny Maddocks following the sentence of 20-year-old Wrexham murderer Mark Harley Jones, of Chester Road.

A two-week trial at Mold Crown Court heard how he plunged a knife into his friend Kyle Walley's chest after the pair had been drinking at the victim's flat in 2021.

Two stab wounds were inflicted upon 19-year-old Mr Walley - one of which pierced his heart and proved fatal.

Mark Harley Jones received a life sentence, with the minimum term he must serve behind bars being set at just over 16 years.

Now Danny, whose brother Craig was murdered in a knife attack at Wrexham's Cambrian Vaults pub in June 2013, has reiterated his plea to young people and parents to take action.

He said: "I am glad he (Jones) got a life sentence - but that life sentence is still not good enough for the impact it has on families, like mine."

During the trial, the jury heard Mark Harley Jones had been "obsessed" with knives and frequently spoke like a "gangster" in a bid to show off and gain notoriety.

Danny said knives can create such a culture, and that can be very dangerous.

He said: "They think 'I'm carrying a knife - look at me, I'm hard.'

"But at the end of the day, they don't think of the consequences - they could get stabbed themselves.

"That knife could drop on the floor and be picked up and used on them."

In Mark Harley Jones' case, the knife was picked up in the victim's flat and used on him.

Danny reminded parents and residents to be mindful of the dangers which can come from having unnecessary blades lying around the house.

He added: "Get rid of the ones you don't use.

"If you have a rack full, ask yourself - do I need all of these?

"And parents, if you notice a knife has gone missing, ask your kids why it's missing."

Speaking to anyone who may be considering carrying or using a blade, he said: "It's not big, or hard.

"If you're willing to carry a knife, you're willing to use one."

"Just give up the knives. Even one less blade out there could mean one less family goes through what mine has."

Danny told the Leader his activities with police in North Wales schools has expanded into Flintshire - with him visiting four on Friday - and he aims to continue reaching out to more youths to encourage them to avoid knives.

He can be reached via his campaign's Facebook page, "OntheKnifeEdge."