My son, 17, was stabbed on dancefloor then died after open heart op at roadside…what I saw in court was more traumatic

GRIEF-STRICKEN Martin Cosser could barely compose himself as the traumatic footage was shown to a stunned-silent courtroom. The horrific mobile phone video was being shown – again – depicting his son Charlie, 17, staggering from a music festival marquee having just suffered a horrific stab wound. He would go on to collapse and later die. Martin Cosser spoke to The Sun about his son Charlie’s death Credit: Darren Fletcher Charlie was stabbed to death in July 2023 Credit: ITV It was one of the several gut-wrenching times that Martin and his family had to watch the life slowly drain from their beloved son during an utterly traumatic trial – that could have been avoided had his killer enter a guilty plea. Tragic Charlie was viciously attacked by thug Yura Varybrus, also then 17, on the dancefloor at BalFest in Warnham, Sussex, in the early hours of Sunday, July 23 2023. Dad-of-three Martin, 51, promised Charlie – a former Brentford youth academy player – on his deathbed days later he would dedicate his life to preventing other families from experiencing the same devastating loss. Today he speaks to The Sun as part of a joint campaign with Fearless – the youth branch of charity CrimeStoppers – to encourage young people to utilise an anonymous reporting tool to flag individuals carrying knives. Martin says: “I’ve made it my mission to put an end to this. “The world deserves to know Charlie. Look at his picture, he’s everyone’s son, the boy next door – he wasn’t involved in gangs or crimes. “He was a lovely lad, the centre of our lives, and he never hurt anyone. But that didn’t save him.” He adds: “No families should have to go through what we have.” Martin says he felt like he was “living in a bubble” after his son’s death, and his trauma was only magnified by the agonising murder trial. Yura Varybrus, then 17, was found guilty of the murder and sentenced to 16 years in prison Credit: Sussex Police Police officers conducting fingertip searches at the scene where Charlie was stabbed Credit: Brighton Pictures Varybrus, whose identity was initially protected due to reporting restrictions, pleaded not guilty, meaning Charlie’s family were left to endure the full details of Charlie’s death in court. Martin says: “My family had to hear from eyewitnesses, emergency service personnel, a pathologist. “We now know that at two minutes to midnight, after Charlie was first stabbed, until 28 minutes past, when he went into traumatic cardiac arrest, how scared he was, how much he was suffering, things we’d be protected from if Charlie’s murderer pleaded guilty.” The family also had to watch a video showing the aftermath of the attack, filmed inadvertently by a festivalgoer to upload to social media. “Every day we had to watch Charlie stagger out of the marquee and collapse,” says Martin. “He put us through that for nothing… that lives with us, and that has scarred us, and those are scars that will never be able to be unpicked. “That’s trauma we live with until the day we die.” Martin says the court proceedings reminded him of “some kind of circus act”, in which both legal teams were pitted against each other, rather than a process where the goal was justice being served. He described at one stage a law from 1912 being referred to, calling it “archaic” and “100 years out of date”, as well as questioning how it is fair Charlie’s killer’s identity was initially protected but his son’s wasn’t. Charlie with his loving parents Tara and Martin Credit: Martin Cosser Martin with Charlie as a small child Credit: Martin Cosser “It’s barbaric,” he continues. “The criminal justice system is broken.” He adds: “It was actually worse than when Charlie died, for my family and I.” Varybrus was ultimately found guilty by a jury after just three-and-a-half hours, and was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Martin says: “They call it life, but we have the life sentence, not him.” Charlie, just weeks from his 18th birthday, had attended the festival with a couple of pals. Martin recalled having almost a sixth sense as he had an unusual urge to watch his son from the window as he walked up the driveway and got into his friend’s car. Then, at around 12.30am, there was a knock at the door. Martin, who was asleep, dashed downstairs in his underwear and found two police officers standing outside. Charlie was described as the ‘centre’ of his family Credit: Martin Cosser Charlie clutches a toy duck in hospital Credit: Martin Cosser Charlie’s coffin had a football floral tribute Credit: Martin Cosser Charlie with brother Adam, far left, dad Martin, sister Eloise and mum Tara Credit: Martin Cosser He recalls: “They said ‘I’m afraid your son Charlie has been stabbed and he’s critical’.” Martin, wife Tara and their daughter Eloise, then 15, were driven to hospital by the officers. Martin says: “They performed an open heart aortic repair procedure in the road. “No patient in medical history has survived that procedure outside of a hospital. “Charlie did, he made it to hospital, he had another traumatic cardiac arrest. “We were told he probably wouldn’t survive surgery, he did, we were told he probably wouldn’t survive the night, he did.” The following day, the family were momentarily relieved when they were told his heart was doing well and “he was probably going to make it”, said Martin, holding back tears. But half an hour later it was found he had fluid on the brain and was once again rushed to surgery – but it had caused irreversible brain damage. The teenager had his whole life ahead of him Charlie played for Brentford as a child On Tuesday, Charlie’s family and closest friends said their goodbyes to the teenager. Martin recalls: “That was when I told Charlie how much I loved him and how much of an honour and a privilege it had been to be his dad – and I would spend the rest of my life educating young people on the dangers and impact of knife crime.” Martin and Tara ultimately set up the charity Charlie’s Promise, with the heartbroken dad having given countless talks, including in schools and prisons. “I’ve had hardened criminals, killers, in tears at my talks because it’s real,” he says. What is Fearless and Charlie's Promise? FEARLESS is the dedicated youth service of the independent charity Crimestoppers, designed to give young people aged 11 to 16 a safe way to pass on information about crime 100% anonymously. It can be accessed here using any smartphone, tablet or computer-based web browser. Fearless has partnered with fellow-charity Charlie’s Promise to launch its biggest-ever awareness campaign. Charlie’s Promise is dedicated to helping the fight against the rising issue of knife crime in Surrey and across the UK. A new film, featuring Charlie’s parents and charity founders Martin and Tara has been released as part of the scheme. It’s described as aiming to “empower young people to use their voice for change, highlighting anonymous reporting as a safe route to share information about crime before violence escalates”. Martin said: “Charlie’s death has left a hole in our family that can never be filled. No parent should have to experience the pain of losing their child to knife crime. “There may be young people who know someone is carrying a knife but feel frightened, uncertain or worried about what will happen if they speak up. “I want them to understand that they do not have to give their name or put themselves at risk. “Even a small piece of information could prevent another young person from being hurt and another family from suffering the heartbreak we live with every day.” “Most kids won’t tell their parents if they know about someone with a knife because they don’t want to worry them. They don’t trust them. “Varybrus had been known to have been carrying a knife in the days and weeks before Charlie’s death – but nothing was done. “If the kids around him knew about Fearless, they could’ve done something.” He adds he makes schoolkids promise they will never pick up a knife for the wrong reason and they’ll report anyone who does. Martin says: “Life is hard, for me it’s like walking a tight rope – one side is the abyss, it’s pain I literally can’t articulate – but the other side is a superpower driven by love, it can make a change. “That’s the side I stay on.” For more on Fearless click here. For more on Charlie’s Promise click here.