I remember when I was younger, my uncle used to take me to the park and push me on the swings, cello tape my hands and legs together, being bridesmaid at his wedding. At the wedding, I wore a pink frilly dress with matching Saturn shoes. My hair was in curls and my uncle was so handsome that he put Brad Pitt to shame. Once they said ‘I do’ my uncle’s smile was so big it looked like he was in heaven. Knowing that I would never see him smile again made it even harder to bear.
The incident happened on the 22nd December. A man (my uncles best friends ex-husband) tried to strangle his wife (my uncle’s best friend) he did not kill her only hurt her. He was arrested and later set free. The man was not going to let it drop so he went over to his ex-wife’s house the next day. Unfortunately, for my uncle, his best friend told him what happened so he went over to see how she was. He was with his daughter of five years who was in the car. When he got to her door, it was open. Not knowing what was going to happen, he walked in and stood there with an evil grin and several knifes was the man. He was not out for my uncle he was there to get his ex-wife instead he struck out at an innocent man who’s life had just begun MY UNCLE. He staggered into the street where my uncle’s daughter was watching in the car, she saw her best friend and dad all go with one strike in the back. He would not stop there; over and over again while a girl, watching not knowing what was going on. As my uncle laid still in the street with shades of red all over him, the man was stood there with his knives and started cleaning them. The innocent five-year-old girl came out the car to see if daddy was alright. The man came over and said something that she would remember for years: ‘your dad’s dead’. He was arrested and put on trial.
At the trial, I was sat there and he came out. The person who ruined so many lives had come out with a smile on his face. When asked what he pleaded he had a nerve to say ‘NOT GUILTY’. My world fell apart, how two words could do that to someone. All I wanted was for him to admit that he did it and that he was sorry. He did not he said ‘NOT GULITY’.
The court where told what happened and it made my stomach turn. When they said when the next court case was I did something, I should have regretted but I do not. I stood up in court and shouted as loud as I could ‘Do us all a favour and go top yourself’. The room went quiet and the judge asked me to sit down I would not. Instead, I was escorted to a court cell and left there for three hours. However, I still did not regret what I said. I had left the court, all I could feel was revenge. All I have dreamt about was getting a gun and shooting him so many times that he could feel half that pain he had put my family through. I want to see him beg for mercy. Amongst all of that, the thing I want more than anything is an apology, to say sorry for what he had done and for taking my heaven from earth, leaving just hell. I will pray for my uncle every night and I say that twenty-five years from now when he is out, I will get my revenge. I will take a life for a life and as in court, I will have no regrets. He ruined my life, and he has ruined my Christmases.
By Catherine James