Smirking teen machete killers stabbed my son, 18, through heart in mystery attack – then flogged blades to ghouls online
ZOE Mitchell was listening to Christmas carol music at her home when police helicopters began blaring overhead.
Just a matter of minutes later, she was left "paralysed" in shock as cops confirmed the body hidden under a white tent in front of her was that of her beloved son, Owen.
Owen Dunn, then 18, was cycling to his girlfriend's house in December 2022 when two youths in balaclavas stabbed him in the heart with machetes in broad daylight.
Horrifyingly, on that day, which came just weeks before his 19th birthday and Christmas, Owen was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The heartbroken family suffered throughout the Christmas and New Year period not knowing who the killers were.
But months later, they were captured and in January this year, Tyler Hunt, 18, and a 15-year-old who cannot be named, were imprisoned for life for the senseless murder.
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Now, Zoe is bravely speaking out in a bid to raise awareness of knife crime, refusing to let her son’s death be in vain.
Zoe, 49, from Swindon, says: “December was always an extra special time of the year for my family. It wasn’t just Christmas, but also Owen’s birthday.
“Yet that day, I lost my son for nothing. His killers took a brother, a grandson and a friend too.
“Now as Christmas approaches again, Owen’s memory will live on forever.
“He may be gone, but I’ll always fight for his life that was so senselessly taken.
“These machetes are so accessible and easy for teens to purchase. More needs to be done in this country.”
Zoe and her partner of 32 years, Graham Dunn, a bricklayer, have been together since their teens.
They built a life together in Penhill, Swindon, and had two sons, Owen and his older brother, Luke, 24.
Zoe says: “Owen adored his big brother. As kids they were attached at the hip.
“Every Christmas Graham and I would take our boys to Butlin’s for the Christmas Wonderland.
I’d brought up a proper gentleman
Zoe Mitchell
“As Owen got older, he’d say hello to everyone, hold doors open and help our friends or family in need.
“When I came home from work after a rough day, he’d always make a cup of tea, cheering me up. I knew I’d brought up a proper gentleman.
“When he was 17, he starting to think of his future, considering construction or groundwork.
“When he wasn’t home, he was obsessed with riding his e-bike on the fields. Or visiting his new girlfriend, who lived not far away.”
Christmas tears
In December 2022, Christmas was three weeks away, and Owen’s 19th birthday was in two weeks.
Zoe put up the Christmas decorations around the house.
She says: “Then on the Sunday that week, me, Graham, and the boys were planning to watch the Euros final at the pub that night.
“That Sunday afternoon Owen told me he was going to ride his bike to his girlfriend’s for a quick visit.
“We said goodbye, and that we’d see each other at the pub later.
“After he left, I put on Christmas carols on the telly.
“My eldest son, Luke, was pottering around upstairs. And Graham was already at the pub waiting for us.”
But half an hour later, Zoe heard helicopters flying past the house. Then her sister phoned her out of nowhere, asking where Owen was.
She’d heard something had happened at the local Asda and begged Zoe to ring Owen to check he was okay.
Zoe says: “I quickly hung up and rang Owen, although I was sure he was already at his girlfriend’s.
“But, he didn’t pick up. I texted him, telling him to answer his phone.
“Starting to panic, I got Luke in the car with me to quickly nip to the Asda area. But I was sure everything was fine.”
Crime scene
Minutes later, they arrived at the scene, around the corner from Owen’s girlfriend’s house.
Zoe recognised the street immediately, as it was where Owen loved doing tricks and wheelies on his bike.
This time, it was covered with police cars, ambulances and horrified locals gathered around police tape.
Zoe says: “Jumping out, I saw Owen’s girlfriend covered in a foil blanket, crying to officers.
“My heart sank to my stomach. Then I saw it. A white tent with a dead body underneath.
“I felt myself running towards it, desperate to lift it up and check for Owen. But a detective stopped me.
“I told them I thought it was my son under there, and he took me and Luke into a police car.
I felt paralysed from shock
Zoe Mitchell
“They confirmed it was Owen. As I felt paralysed from shock, I heard Luke having a panic attack.
“I didn’t believe it. It was like being trapped in a nightmare and any minute I’d wake up.
“I rang Graham and told him Owen had been killed. He kept telling me to stop being stupid.
“He didn’t believe me.”
Graham rushed to the scene and just like Zoe had done, he ran towards Owen’s lifeless body. But he was stopped by officers.
As Zoe and Graham saw each other, they both broke down.
Zoe says: “I couldn’t fathom who’d hurt my son. He was the kindest, most well-mannered boy.
“He had lovely, sweet friends and stayed out of trouble. He didn’t deserve this.”
Knife attack
Over the next few days, the family soon discovered that just 15 minutes after Owen had left the house, two youths in black balaclavas on bikes blocked his way.
Zoe says: “They brandished large machete knives. One tried to slash Owen in the chest but missed, slicing his coat.
“Then another stabbed him right in his heart. Owen, still on his bike, tried riding off but collapsed, bleeding out on the street.
“The two killers fled and Owen died. Owen had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“As I grieved my son, I asked myself constantly, why Owen? I wondered if they’d wanted to steal his electric bike.
“He had his whole life ahead of him.”
Although the youths were seen on CCTV footage, the balaclavas covering their faces made it impossible for the police.
Two weeks later, on Owen’s birthday, the family mourned.
Zoe says: “It was the same for Christmas day. As the doctor had prescribed me medication, I put myself to sleep at 5pm.
“My heart ached for him and I fell into a deep depression. The New Year period was a blur as well. There were still no arrests and we didn’t know who his killers were.”
Killers unmasked
Thankfully, three months later, in March 2023, police had a tip-off after a Crimestoppers appeal.
Tyler, 18, and a 15-year-old boy, who can’t legally be named in the press due to being underage, were arrested and charged.
Zoe says: “As we waited for the trial, I decided I couldn’t sit around depressed any longer.
“Instead, I wanted to make a change and stop this from happening to other families.
“Owen's school friend's mum, Jo, 40, asked me to join her in an anti-knife campaign.
I wanted to make a change and stop this from happening to other families
Zoe Mitchell
"Thanks to her, I found a new passion of going to schools, doing workshops on knife crime and raising funds for ‘Owen’s World.’
“We helped get councils to put amnesty bins and bleed kits in areas.”
Nearly a year after losing Owen, the family faced Tyler and the younger teen in court.
Zoe says: “On the stand, they both laughed as Graham, Luke and I cried. They couldn’t even give a reason for targeting Owen.
"They weren’t part of a gang either.
“But Tyler had been on bail that day for another crime. If our justice system hadn’t been so lenient, maybe Owen would’ve been alive today.”
They learned during the trial how they’d purchased their machetes online. Horrifyingly, after murdering Owen, they ended up selling them.
Zoe says: “The judge couldn’t believe that someone was out there, in the UK, with the same knives that killed Owen.
“All of these online orders were completely legal in the UK. So accessible and easy for teens to purchase."
A life sentence
After three weeks, Tyler Hunt, 18, of Park South, Swindon, and the 15-year-old, were both found guilty of murder and possession of a bladed weapon at Bristol Crown Court in November 2023.
In January 2024, they were sentenced to life, with Tyler receiving a minimum of 19 years and the 15-year-old getting a minimum of 12 years.
Zoe says: “After the guilty verdicts, my family and I went out for a Christmas roast in Christmas jumpers in Owen’s memory.
“We didn’t want to wallow in sadness on another Christmas. Instead we were determined to find a new normal, without Owen.
“I was relieved we had justice. But it wasn’t enough. I continued putting everything into ‘Owen’s world’ to save more lives.
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“To anyone reading my son’s story, please visit and educate yourself on knife crime.
“He will never be forgotten.”
