‘My son is a murderer but he’s a child who made a mistake. I want him to apologise for what he did’

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video. Up Next. A reality TV star turned model whose son murdered a rival in a fight over an electric bike has called on Britain’s youth to lay down their knives and shun the gangs stalking the streets.

Sherrell Dillion found fame as a single mother on the Channel 4 show about poverty Benefits Street. Her son Terrell Boyce also regularly appeared alongside her in the programme that focused on the lives of those struggling to make ends meet. But he went on to fatally stab Ronique Thomas, 33, in 2023 when he was just 17.

He was given a life sentence to serve at least 25 years for the murder which happened in Birmingham in a clash over a bike. His mother, who has gone on to model and Paris fashion week and appeared in a film with Tom Cruise,  told the programme Mums of Murderers on Best that Terrell had begun to carry a blade from a young age after a family member was gunned down.

But she said it was unacceptable to carry a blade which could rob a family of loved ones over the most trivial of disputes. Ms Dillion, 37, said: ‘My 12-year-old nephew got shot and left paralysed. That led to Terrell and other members of the family wearing bulletproof vests to keep them safe, because if my 12-year-old nephew can get shot for walking to the shop and wearing a blue coat, it’s not safe.’.

She called for more support for young people and for the lesson to be learned they ‘the streets do not not love you, your family do.’. She added: ‘We need more groups, more talking about it, more organisations getting together and the police just taking these knives.

‘I get that we have kitchen knives, we have to cut our bread, but all these machetes, these Rambo knives, where are they coming from?. ‘They’ve got to be coming from somewhere for these kids to get easy access and it’s not just 17-year-olds, it’s 12-year-olds.’.

To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro's London news hub. ‘I’m just trying to bring awareness to the younger generation and to let them know, the system and the streets don’t love you guys, your parents do.’. ‘I just want younger Kings and Queens out there to listen to your parents, to those role models in your life because you’ll get caught up in things, and it changes your whole life, not just yours but family members as well.

‘Listen to your cousins – if they’re not in a gang that doesn’t mean they’re idiots, they’re good people trying to make a decent living out of their lives. Look up to them. These postcodes, B19, B26, they don’t love you.’. She also said she would like to apologise to the family of the man her son had killed.

Meanwhile, she said that the police and government should crack down on knives and do more to steer young people away from gangs and crime. She added: ‘To the system – make a change and be there for the families who ask for help because they’ve let a lot of families down. And to the police – do your job and take those knives off the streets.’.

Benefits Street first aired in 2014 and focused on a street in Birmingham. It was a fly-on-the-wall show that aimed to give a realistic view of his Britons on benefits lived. Ofcom received hundreds of complaints about the show which ran to a second series.

Some of those taking part accused the producers of misleading them and that the show generated unfair views about their lifestyle on state benefits. *Mums of Murderers is broadcast by Best and presented by Nick Ferrari. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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