'I do not want to be here, I want to be next to him' - father speaks of devastation after teenage son's murder

Jamie Brown, 17, was fatally stabbed after a fight broke out outside a party in Ovenden, Halifax on October 27, last year.

His father Robert Brown, 50, has paid tribute to his "happy and jolly" son who enjoyed spending time with his friends.

"Jamie was such a happy baby and little boy growing up," Mr Brown recalls.

"He liked going to school and was a typical boy.

"He liked to play with his brothers, they used to play hide and seek a lot

Mr Brown raised Jamie and his two brothers Luke, 20, and Daniel 16, on his own, before meeting his now wife Kelly Brown and her two son's.

They all lived together in Ramsden Street, Halifax.

Before leaving school, Jamie had always wanted to join the army, but he later changed his mind and enrolled at Calderdale College to learn to be a mechanic.

He then changed his mind again and decided he wanted to become a bricklayer and Mr Brown said his college tutor's spoke highly of his capabilities.

He said: "They were really impressed with him and said he had real talent at bricklaying.

"They have still kept a wall he built there as a tribute for him.

"He really enjoyed the course, one of his best mates did the same and they would have a laugh together."

On a weekend, Jamie enjoyed spending time with his friends and loved clothes and fashion.

"He had to have top of the range stuff which we couldn't always afford," Mr Brown said.

"He loved his trainers, all his mates had good ones. He liked to be smart. His hair had to be a certain way. You couldn't touch his hair.

"He was just a normal teenager, although he did like to keep himself to himself."

Mr Brown describes his relationship with Jamie as "good", but says he was a typical teenager who didn't like it when he had to be home early.

He said: "We had our ups and downs like all families and he didn't like it if he had to stick to some ground rules.

"Looking back now I wish we had done more together, but time just seems to go so quick."

Jamie's younger brother, Daniel said: "He was really protective of me, if I had problems he would always stick up for me."

On the day of Jamie's death, Mr Brown saw his son at the bus stop that evening.

He said: "That was the last time I saw him alive.

"I thought he was going out for a drink for his friend's 18th birthday, he hadn't mentioned a Halloween party."

Mr Brown also recalls the devastating moment he found out his son had been stabbed and how he rushed to the scene.

"There was a knock on the door that night and it was one of his friends," he said.

"He told me Jamie had been stabbed and I thought he was kidding at first and said 'you must be joking'.

"When he said he wasn't I rushed to get to him and see what was going on.

"When I got there he was in an ambulance and I didn't know how bad he was or where he had been stabbed.

"The paramedic then told me we needed to get to hospital quickly."

Jamie was rushed to hospital and Mr Brown was told his son was in a critical but stable condition after he had been stabbed in his abdomen.

"The doctor told me they were going to take him into theatre," he said.

"Then a while later, I don't know how long, they came and took us into another room and said Jamie had passed away.

"It just all happened so quick and we could only look at him, we couldn't touch him because of the police investigation."

Mr Brown say's Jamie's death has had a devastating impact on all the family.

"I can't sleep and I have had suicidal thoughts," he said.

"I feel like I don't want to be here and I want to be next to him.

"I am more protective of the boys now when they go out and I worry all the time.

"I feel better when I know they are at home.

"I feel angry because I didn't get to hug him or tell him how much I loved him."

Michael Thompson, 17, from Huddersfield, was last week jailed for life with a minimum of 17 years for Jamie's murder.

Leeds Crown Court heard how a group, including Thompson, tried to get into the party Jamie was at and an argument had followed with Jamie and his friends who were already inside.

It was during the disturbance Thompson stabbed Jamie in the lower abdomen.

The court also heard how the killer had watched a graphic video of a man being stabbed to death "out of curiosity" prior to what had happened.

Mr Brown said: "The court cases was hard, especially seeing his murderer smirking with no remorse.

"It wasn't easy seeing and hearing everything that happened..

"It makes me so angry that he has no remorse and that he has taken my son's life away.

"No sentence will ever be enough for us. We are the ones that are living the life sentence. I won't see Jamie grow up, get his first wage package and have his first long term relationship, I won't get to see grandchildren from him."