AFTER the headlines have been written and the murder verdict long delivered, the family of James Dean continue to battle the awful finality of that fateful September night four years ago.

For them, the damage has been done and they know their son, brother, nephew and cousin will never return home from an evening out watching football with friends in Town.

Yet, with tremendous bravery, they have decided to turn their hurt into something positive: a campaign to rid the island of the fear of knife crime.

No one should underestimate the courage it takes in such circumstances to lead a march of more than 500 people, seeking to ensure that nobody forgets that the consequences of carrying a knife can be long-lasting and catastrophic for all concerned.

A moment of madness that lasted a few minutes saw one man jailed for 12 years and the other suffer a fatal wound to the heart.

Yet, despite such tragedies, it is clear that the battle against knives is ongoing.

Just a few yards away from the start of Saturday’s march, at the Candy Shop on the Bridge, two young men recently threatened staff while carrying kitchen knives in their pockets.

Other court reports describe how defendants have waved and threatened knives after arguments got out of hand. In one, a man ran towards a group in St Julian’s Avenue brandishing a blade.

And security officers at the Royal Court confiscated 102 knives in the first four months of checks at the building.

Stop.Now is determined that Guernsey will not go down the same path as towns and cities in the UK, where knife crime has led to a series of young deaths.

As part of that they will go into the schools to give talks to pupils and show them the potentially terrible consequences of carrying a knife.

And in another brave step, that will include a video showing the terrible effects of James Dean’s death on his friends and family.

It is an incredibly powerful message. Let us hope that everyone is listening.