'Heartbroken' resident pinpoints why she thinks Northampton is 'breaking down' following latest fatal stabbing

A heartbroken resident has pinpointed why she thinks Northampton is ‘breaking down’ following the latest fatal stabbing of a teenager in the town.

Abington resident Sally Pagano has felt compelled to speak out after the latest fatal stabbing of a teenager in the town.

Just one month ago, 16-year-old Rohan Shand, of Kings Heath, died after being stabbed near the Cock Hotel in Harborough Road at about 3.35pm on Wednesday, March 22.

Then, on Sunday (April 23), a 19-year-old University of Northampton student was fatally stabbed in New South Bridge Road, Far Cotton at 8.40pm. Police have launched a murder investigation.

Earlier this week, Chronicle & Echo spoke to the mother of Louis-Ryan Menezes who died in Kingsthorpe after suffering a single stab wound to the chest on May 25, 2018.

Louis’ mother, Cheri Curran said: “What happened to the days of local police officers who knew all the kids in the local area?”

Responding to this story, Sally said HMOs and transient populations are to blame for the ‘breakdown of communities’.

She said: “When you introduce HMOs into an area and break up communities and introduce a transient population, it's impossible for police to maintain relationships with people, the whole social structure breaks down. Everyone suffers.

"This is a by-product of what is happening in our town, it filters through and affects everyone.

"This is why it's important to stand up against this HMO onslaught, the overcrowding and breakdown of our communities. We can't look after each other effectively if we don’t know our neighbours.

“How can you work through issues with people if no one shares common ground? How can people learn to love one another and learn from each other and learn to tolerate and get on with each other, and work around issues and learn to be considerate of one another, and forgive each other and show understanding of one another, if they are surrounded by people who are only there for a short amount of time?”

Sally said she is ‘heartbroken’ watching knife crime unfold in the town.

She said: “Throwing money at bleed kits isn't going to solve the issue. The proximate cause has got to be addressed.

"We are moulded by our environments. Stable communities are essential to wholesome upbringings, it takes more than a parent to bring up children, who then grow into adults.

"This breakdown in society has a negative effective on everyone. It seems we are reaping the negative fruit of what's been sown here and will do on every level.

"If you don’t feel like you are part of something you don't contribute to it and aren't proud of it. HMOs break up communities and stop all that happening.”

There are around 1,100 HMOs registered on West Northants Council’s HMO register currently.