Who was Damilola Taylor’s father Richard?
CAMPAIGNER Richard Taylor's son Damilola was brutally murdered at the age of just 10 in Peckham, South London.
The former Nigerian civil servant dedicated years to improving the lives of disadvantaged children in the wake of his son's tragic death in November 2000.
Who was Richard Taylor?
Richard said his son had died due to enormous problems in society, but that he wanted his son's legacy to be one of hope.
Richard was appointed as an anti-knife crime envoy under then-prime minister Gordon Brown in 2009 and was made an OBE for his work to stop knife violence.
He also made an appearance at the Baftas in 2017, when he collected an award for a documentary about his son called Damilola, Our Loved Boy.
Joined by his son Tunde, Richard dedicated the prize to Damilola and Gloria, and used the occasion to call for an end to knife violence.
In 2020, Damilola's birthday, December 7, was declared as a day of hope to mark the 20 years since he died.
At this stage Richard said he would scale back his campaigning work and pass the baton to a younger generation.
His wish remained that Damilola's legacy would be to offer hope and opportunity to underprivileged young people, and freedom from a life of fear.
His family announced he died on Saturday aged 75 after a prolonged battled with prostate cancer.
Who was Gloria Taylor?
Gloria Taylor was also a Nigerian activist.
She wanted to provide opportunities for Britain's "downtrodden and underprivileged youth".
Gloria sadly died on April 8, 2008, after a suspected heart attack.
How did Richard and Gloria fight for justice?
Damilola's devastated parents worked endlessly with determined police detectives to help track down his killers.
The police were met with a wall of silence during their investigations as local loyalties and fear of reprisals meant leads progressed at a snail's pace.
But eventually, after two failed Crown Court trials, Damilola's killers were put behind bars thanks to fresh DNA evidence.
Thugs Danny and Ricky Preddie were only 12 and 13 years old when they killed Damilola.
Members of the notorious Young Peckham Boys gang, they had already been terrorising the local area for years.
Danny was rarely out of supervision or detention and at the time of Damilola's killing, should have been subject to a 24-hour curfew in a social services home.
Ricky Preddie, 13 at the time of the killing, also had a history of violence and theft. He was also supposed to have been under supervision when the schoolboy was killed.
But Richard and Gloria's continued fight to keep the memory of Damilola alive helped bring his killers to justice.
The Preddies were found guilty of manslaughter on 9 August 2006, and were jailed for eight years, with Ricky released halfway through his sentence in 2010 and Danny the following year.
Ricky was sent back to jail in 2011 for breaching his parole by going to Peckham and mingling with gang members, and again the following year after being caught with a stolen motorbike.
When did Gloria Taylor die?
Brave mum Gloria Taylor died aged 57 on April 8, 2008.
She suffered a heart attack while walking with husband Richard on Shooters Hill in south east London.
Nick Ephgrave, the detective who caught the Preddies, said Gloria's dignity and determination was important in bringing justice to her son's killers.
What is the Damilola Taylor Trust?
The was set up to help improve the lives of underprivileged children.
It runs a number of programmes including internship schemes, educational courses, and mentoring projects.
It was launched with the support of former footballer Rio Ferdinand.
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"Damilola lost his life because of enormous problems in this society," Gloria said as she launched the charity.
"Our son wanted to be a doctor. He was a leader, and we are sure he would have been extraordinary.
"We would like the trust to heal many of the ills faced by today's youth."
