Teenager bled to death in brother's arms

The mother of teenager Jimmy Mizen, who died in an unprovoked attack at a London baker's shop, described yesterday how she had been shielded from the horrific scene by another of her sons.

Earlier yesterday, a witness, who had been in the shop at the time of the attack, came forward in response to police appeals.

Detectives said the death was not gang-related and did not involve knives.

It had followed a fight with a male youth who had smashed his way into the baker's shop.

Jimmy, who had gone out to buy his first lottery ticket at the time of the attack, was the 13th teenager to be killed in London this year.

Margaret Mizen, Jimmy's mother ran to The Three Cooks in Lee, southeast London, where the attacker had slashed Jimmy's throat on Saturday, a day after his 16th birthday.

He bled to death in the arms of his older brother as they waited for help to arrive.

"I was there as quick as I could run," she told reporters.

"My son wouldn't let me go near him. He just said 'Mum, he's OK, just wait.'" She said it was a comfort to know Jimmy had died in the arms of his brother.

"Of course, I would have liked to have been there with him. He's my baby and I want to hold him. But his brother loves him as much as I do."

Ms Mizen made the comments after attending Mass at her son's school, accompanied by her husband Barry.

They quoted their priest's description of Jimmy as a saint.

"In the 16 years and one day, I've had him I've never once told him off," Ms Mizen said.

They described him as somebody who got on with people of all ages, and somebody who did not judge others.

Ms Mizen said the family had the memory of telling their son they loved him the day before he died.

"On the night of his birthday he was just going out with some friends, we cuddled him, nothing unusual, said we loved him. And that is great, that's a great memory for me."

Ms Mizen said it was pointless being angry at her son's attacker.

"There is so much anger in this world, and it is anger that has killed my son.

"If I'm angry, then I'm going to be just doing exactly the same as this chap. We have got to get rid of all this anger that is around."