The sister of a man who was fatally stabbed outside a Bodmin nightclub has issued a warning about the devastating consequences of knife crime as his family prepares to mark the third anniversary of his death.
Michael Riddiough‑Allen, 32, died on April 30, 2023, after being stabbed once in the abdomen, suffering injuries so severe that he bled to death within minutes. Since his death, his family have dedicated their lives to preventing knife crime in his memory.
In the wake of the tragedy, Michael’s family set up Mike’s Trust in 2024 after discovering there was no specific support in the South West for families bereaved by knife crime. What began as a support network has since evolved into a knife crime prevention charity focused on education.
Michael’s sister, Becky Dustan, has been sharing her brother’s story in the run‑up to the anniversary to help highlight the dangers of carrying a knife, including through a podcast recorded with Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez.
Speaking on the latest episode of Your VIP: Your Voice in Policing, Becky described her brother’s death as 'harrowing' and said the family faced a stark choice in the aftermath.
She said: 'We had a choice following Mike's death and I think that's a position that a lot of people find themselves in. You can kind of sink into the grief and the depression and the anger you feel about the unfairness of everything, or you can try and do something positive and try and move forwards and make change. We chose the second option.'
Mike’s Trust now works with schools, colleges and youth groups to help young people understand what knife crime is, why it happens and the consequences not only for those involved but for their families and wider society.
Becky said education was key to preventing future tragedies.
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She added: 'The best way to prevent things from happening is through education and discussion. It's about giving information to young people so that they don't make those choices in the first place.'
Becky was recently invited to speak at the opening ceremony of the Knife Angel sculpture in Plymouth – a 27‑foot artwork made from 100,000 surrendered and seized knives.
The anniversary of Michael’s death will be marked by his family gathering at the location where he was fatally injured to celebrate his life.
They will also hold their annual free family event Mike’s Motor Mania on Sunday, July 26, at Spitfire Park in Perranporth, running from 11am to 3.30pm.
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