08 January 2024 , 20:22
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The late wife of James Morrison made a touching tribute to help end knife crime before she died.
Gill Catchpole, 45, was found dead at the family home in Gloucestershire on Friday. The You Give Me Something singer, who shares daughters, Elsie, 15, and five-year-old Ada with Gill, is said to be “completely heartbroken” and is being comforted by family and friends.
A source close to the family confirmed that there are no suspicious circumstances. They said: "Gill was found dead on Friday at the family's home in Whitminster. James is devastated and is being supported by his family. He is holding it together for their girls, but has asked for the family to be left alone to grieve in private."
Now it’s been revealed that before she died, Gill supported local anti-crime group Put The Knives Down Gloucester and even donated a guitar signed by James to help raise money. Writing on their Facebook page in 2022, the group said: “Want to say a massive thank you to James Catchpole and Gill Catchpole for doing this for us. A signed guitar by James Morrison. This is going to make someone very happy when it’s up for raffle. Plus a signed album. Thank you again James. Means a lot. Please share.”
James is heartbroken after partner Gill was found dead at their family home (Joanne Davidson/REX/Shutterstock)
Gill and James donated a signed guitar to help victims of knife crime (Facebook)The anti-knife crime group Gill backed has since become an awareness only page and no longer actively operates. It comes as actor and musician Idris Elba launched his Don’t Stop Your Future campaign in the Mirror today. The Luther star, 51, has called for the immediate banning of machetes and so-called zombie knives and warned police powers like stop-and-search were not eradicating knife crime as he warned the issue goes “deeper” than that.
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Taking a stand after saying he “can’t stay silent as lives are lost”, Idris posed for poignant photos in front of neatly folded clothes representing the 247 people killed through knife crime last year were laid outside Parliament as MPs returned to work today.
Hackney-born Idris said: “Some kids are carrying these knives because they're scared and some are carrying knives because it makes them feel more protected. Stop and search will do some work, but we need to kind of pull the onion back a little further and figure out what are the roots of these issues?"
Idris is also lobbying for more funding in youth services and releasing a song, Knives Down, in an effort to tackle serious youth violence across the UK. The Don't Stop Your Future campaign has produced a series of billboards highlighting the risk across the country, including in London, Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield.
Speaking about the campaign, Idris said: "I can't stay silent as more young lives are lost to these brutal and heartless crimes. As school returns, too many young people will not be joining their classmates and too many grieving families have lost a young person they love in recent years. Young people are our future, their potential deserves to be met, not taken away by violence."