“The first thought was, ‘Don’t tell me it’s my son who is dead’. The second thought was, ‘I want to kill the person that did it’.” So says former boxer Mark Prince, whose life is dedicated to the Kiyan Prince Foundation.
Kiyan, his son, was 15 when he was fatally stabbed on in May 2006 on the streets of London, through a single lethal knife wound, while intervening to prevent the bullying of another boy. He was a prodigious footballing talent on the books of Queens Park Rangers, on the verge of earning a professional contract.
From the first thought of wanting revenge on the killer, Hannad Hasan, Prince had an epiphany.
Since 2007, Prince, now 50 and a former world title challenger, has dedicated his life to fighting knife crime and youth violence, instilling in wayward youngsters the healing and transformational values of sport to change lives, through the non-for-profit organisation bearing his son’s name.
Prince received an OBE this week, with 84,000 youngsters having been reached by the foundation in the past 12 years.
This week, family friends and media gathered with Prince at the Old Bailey for a reception. It was a deeply emotional time for reflection. “It’s such a powerful moment, as you can imagine,” Prince, told me, as we talked in the Central Criminal Court.
“Thirteen years ago I was pacing up and down this floor. So many different emotions – anger, pain, grief. You just want to see something happen, but you know even if this guy goes to jail for how many years, you know you’ll still be left with this pain. When he was murdered, I had days where I didn’t want to go on because it was pointless. Going to his room, smelling his clothes, so much of it was internal.”
Prince had always been a very dangerous man in street gangs, but had developed into a formidable cruiserweight boxing knockout artist. Fast-twitch. Hit first, ask questions later.
The recognition on the Honours List this week has simply galvanised his desire to help change lives. “From being ignored, not having the funds – this is a moment of victory. The tables are turning for my favour now. I can do now what I’ve always been committed to, which is bringing people together to turn this whole mindset of carrying knives and carrying guns to kill people to an end.”
💙 Remembering Kiyan Prince, who would have turned 2️⃣8️⃣ today.
Always in our thoughts. #QPR pic.twitter.com/xomRZNfqRE
— QPR FC (@QPR) November 25, 2018
Tragically, nonetheless, knife crime in the UK is on the rise. Education is the key, insists Prince. Starting at home.
Prince has become a very eloquent man. A changed man. Boxing did that to him. He was once a very scary man. “My only thing when I went into fights was I wanted to knock you out and wrap it up. A lot of it was based on fear. When you listen and watch Mike Tyson talk, a lot of it was about fear. In my mind, this guy in front of me could wreck my life. I fought out of that fear.”
“I was taught how to fight from a very young age. I grew up in an age where racism was so blatant. There was no PC. You’d often hear people blatantly racist against others in school, in shops, in the street. My dad taught me to fight, never thinking I would become a fighter. As I grew up, I veered into the world of crime and drugs, after having problems at home and being homeless. I was going nowhere.”
But through boxing, Prince did change. Like he sees the change in teenagers he gives talks to, in schools, youth centres, communities.
Then his thoughts are back to Kiyan. Always 15. Always smiling. Always on his way to thrill fans on a football field.
“He was a specimen. Solid, distinguished, he worked hard. My son took on board to be a hard worker and achieve his goals. We feel sorry for people but we never ever think that’s going to be us. That’s why I’ve got to do this job because I’ve got to wake people up, inspire future champions. I’ve been supporting QC Nick Hilliard, too, who is the highest judge at the Old Bailey for quite some time now, doing his ‘No knives, better lives’ project as well. My vision was to build a Kiyan Prince Foundation and a legacy to inspire young people to be good like my son was good. And I’ll do anything to continue it.
“The manufacturer of human beings says ‘when you’re asleep in me, you are put to sleep’. He says the dead know nothing, so for me my son is sleeping. I’m busy getting on with what needs to be done in his name.
“I’m going to meet my son again. I want to be able to show my son what happened when he was laid to rest. It’s going to be an amazing story and we’re going to rejoice together and have an awesome time.”