'We never had a chance to say goodbye'

Six youths have been jailed for the murder of 14-year-old Shaquille Smith.

In a victim impact statement, his social worker mother Sandra Maitland said she had struggled to understand why anyone would want to harm her son.

Every day since Shaq's death, myself, his father, his siblings, extended family and friends feel lost, bewildered and tearful, hoping it is a bad dream and then we question why?

Shaquille was killed near his London home

Why would someone as innocent as Shaquille become a target for someone to wilfully inflict pain on him when he was not being confrontational or making any trouble?

Why, when he was innocently standing outside his house, his life was taken away in an instant?

Only the person who inflicted that injury can answer that question.

How do you describe a 14-year-old who was going through puberty and self-realisation?

Shaquille was developing as a teenager, breaking away from his parents, making decisions for himself, learning to form his own decision-making faculties.

It is difficult to put into a few words the life that Shaq had and the life he has lost.

Shaquille was a typical boy, growing up boisterous, lots of energy.

I can tell you about the son that did chores at home, washing up, Hoovering and his love of food and cooking.

I can tell you about Shaq who loved his PlayStation, who loved to play tricks on you, his love of music, his love of drama, playing football and more recently attending army cadets.

Loving boy

What I can't tell you about is how he would manage having to take his exams, his graduation, his first job, his first car, his first girlfriend, getting married, having children.

In a few words, Shaquille was a loving boy, both as a young child and an adolescent.

Shaq loved to give you sloppy kisses or just cuddle up with you. He was polite and respectful to both elders and young adults in any situation.

A light has been dimmed and put out of our lives. We never had a chance to say goodbye to Shaq.

We know he is resting, he is safe and he is at peace.

For those who harmed Shaquille, they will have to live with their conscience, if they have one, knowing what they did.