Parents of fatally stabbed teenager Jack Beasley: ‘We’ll never forgive the grub who took our son’s life’

The parents of a teenager killed on a night out have opened up on enduring grief four years on.

Gold Coast Australians of the Year Brett and Belinda Beasley say they’ll never be able to forgive the teenager who fatally stabbed their 17-year-old on in Surfers Paradise.

The campaigning parents of Jack Beasley - killed in 2019 on Surfers Paradise Boulevard - have been instrumental in driving landmark law to target juvenile knife crime - and were recognised for their efforts this week when named the Gold Coast Australians of the Year.

Speaking immediately after tearfully accepting their award, the Bulletin asked Mr Beasley if he would ever be able to forgive the then 15-year old convicted of his son’s murder and sentenced to 10 years jail.

“Never, absolutely not,” he said.

“He was 15 years old, he took our sons life. Jack was only 17 and this little grub was 15. No absolutely not.

“I will never forgive what he has done to our son. Our son lost his 18th, his 21st, his whole life having family, having children, getting married, all those milestones.

“He took his life for no reason. Absolutely no reason whatsoever.

Jack Beasley.

“It’s devastating. It was only two weeks before Christmas, which was our Christmas present in 2019.

“No other family wants to go through what we have been through. It’s terrible.”

Asked the same question, wife Belinda said: “I can’t see myself doing that. He took our son’s life, and he’s out in seven years.

“That’s a pretty hard pill to swallow, he’ll be out before he’s 22 and Jack’s life was lost at 17. “I can’t say that I won’t (ever forgive), but at this stage, I can’t see it. I try not to think of him (the perpetrator), he’s already taken enough from us so he doesn’t need to take anymore.”

Asked how she felt at being named the Gold Coast Australians of the Year, she said it was “overwhelming and a bit emotional”.

“We wish no one knew who we were, but unfortunately they do. We’re very honoured. There were a lot of people honoured who were so worthy.”

The pair, who talk in schools about the impact of Jack’s stabbing death in 2019 when he had most of his life in front of him, started the Jack Beasley Foundation weeks afterwards to ensure a legacy for their son.

Brett Beasley and Belinda Beasley at the Gold Coast Australian of the Year Awards 2024 at Skypoint Q1. They were named the Gold Coast Australians of the Year. Picture: Portia Large.

It has spearheaded the rollout of Jack’s Law - giving police special powers to wand for knives without a warrant in entertainment hubs. Jack’s Law has resulted 800-plus weapons taken off Gold Coast streets and since been adopted in NSW, Northern Territory with Western Australia and Victoria also looking at it.

“It was something we felt we had to do to honour Jack. And make sure it didn’t happen to another family,” Belinda said.

“Kids don’t understand the ramifications a single act of violence could have, and that’s our aim with our school presentations to let kids know this is what could happen.

“We show pictures of the scene, pictures of Jack’s friends, talk about how it’s impacted them. Our (younger) son talks about how it’s impacted him and we talk about how it’s impacted us.

“We show pictures of the funeral, and it’s very matter of fact, but kids need to understand that that single act can cause lifelong trauma for so many people.”

Originally published as Parents of fatally stabbed teenager Jack Beasley: ‘We’ll never forgive the grub who took our son’s life’