Aunt of murdered Leeds teenager Alfie Lewis remembers 'beautiful boy' as she calls for crackdown on crime
The aunt of murdered Leeds schoolboy Alfie Lewis has said his legacy must bring lasting change, as she called for a crackdown on violent crime.
Alfie was just 15-years-old when he was fatally stabbed in broad daylight outside a school in Horsforth in November 2023, a tragedy that sent shockwaves through the city and left his family devastated.
Now, his aunt Mechelle Lewis is urging leaders to act, insisting that his death must mark a turning point in the fight against serious youth violence.
“Alfie is with me constantly. You can’t take away the memories, emotions, or feelings,” she told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“He was a beautiful boy. He would light up a room - always dancing, or singing, or rapping. He’d just started on his journey through life when he was tragically taken from us. But we can’t allow his life to have been taken in vain.”
Mechelle has joined with authorities in West Yorkshire as part of a major consultation, with people urged to share their views in order to help shape a new strategy for tackling serious violence.
As part of that work, she has already collaborated with Leeds-based Redbobble Arts for a project titled ‘Alfie: Forever 15’, which combines performance, film and music. It will be taken into schools and colleges.
“I wanted to be part of this project because it’s a huge platform,” said Mechelle. “[Violence] is prolific and it needs to be addressed at the root. This starts with the youth. If we can engage the children, we can change mindsets.”
In June last year, 15-year-old killer Bardia Shojaeifard was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 13 years for Alfie’s murder. The court heard that he carried a kitchen knife around all day intending to attack the teenager.
The consultation is being led by West Yorkshire’s Mayor Tracy Brabin and Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Alison Lowe OBE.
“When the mayor was re-elected last year, we pledged to to co-produce a serious violence strategy,” said Ms Lowe. “As part of a consultation, we heard that residents were scared for young people and worried about violence generally.
“We have been talking to Alfie’s family about the strategy since last year. They were really keen to be part of that conversation.”
She added: “A lot of people tend to think that serious violence is happening somewhere far away from them - but it can impact anyone.
“We hope that this consultation will help prevent deaths. I do believe there is hope, and it starts with building awareness and understanding.”