The shocked parents who discovered their son had been exploited by a criminal underworld - but it was far too late
20.06.2024 - 08:21
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
At just 14, Nathaniel Shani enjoyed doing many of the same normal things as teenage boys across the country. He played on his PlayStation and hung out with friends. Nathaniel also took pride in his role as an air cadet, shining his shoes and ironing his shirt to make sure he looked the part.
But Nathaniel’s life was brutally and cruelly cut short, after a brief foray into a criminal underworld, where he was exploited by sophisticated criminals into dealing drugs.
Stabbed to death as part of a petty feud, his parents are struggling to comprehend how their son could have become involved in drug dealing without their knowledge.
READ MORE: Two teens jailed for life for the murder of Nathaniel Shani
Shattered and devastated by this realisation, they attended their son’s murder trial but understandably found it hard to listen to horrifying testimony surrounding his killing.
Nathaniel was killed by another young boy, who he had once regarded as a friend. But Nathaniel’s bid to ‘save face’, when some cannabis he’d been given to sell was stolen from him, had devastating consequences.
In an interview with the Manchester Evening News, the lead detective on the case, DCI Gina Brennand, revealed that the dealer who provided Nathaniel with the drugs has since been locked up for drugs offences.
And she said that her team’s investigation revealed that Nathaniel had only been involved in drug dealing for about two weeks before he was murdered.
DCI Brennand said: “That street level exploitation, I would say, has led to Nathaniel’s murder. Had the drugs not been stolen, the fight would never have taken place. That person has been the catalyst for Nathaniel’s murder, and his parents would say that.
“Nathaniel’s parents were very