Cairns woman reeling from son’s death on a mission to curb rising violence

After her son was stabbed and left to die in a Darwin bottle shop, a Cairns mother has turned her grief into action — speaking directly to young people in a bid to stop the violence.

In the wake of her son's tragic death, Cairns woman Samara Laverty has launched Declan's Voice Foundation to show young people the human toll of violence. Picture: Tim Little

After her son was stabbed and left to die in a Darwin bottle shop, a Cairns mother has turned her grief into action by speaking directly to young people in a bid to stop the violence.

Declan Laverty was stabbed five times at work in 2023 for telling a customer he needed shoes to be served.

While bleeding out in a BWS backroom, Declan managed to text his parents, “I love you”, one final time.

Following the tragedy, Samara Laverty has launched Declan’s Voice Foundation, which aims to deliver eye-opening programs to make young people realise the human price of their decisions.

Declan Laverty was murdered in 2023 by Keith Kerinauia, 20, after being told he was unable to be served without shoes. Picture: Zizi Averill

Ms Laverty said she didn’t harbour any anger about her son’s murder, but was determined to make sure no one else relived her experience.

“I know what it feels like to be told that your son is dead,” she said.

“I know what it feels like to be told your son’s been murdered.

“I don’t want anyone to ever have to hear that again.

“This is about empowering young people to understand how these situations can happen and what the real consequences are, both short-term and long-term.”

The foundation has created a number of different programs aimed to reach various demographics that share the common goal of showing audiences how edged weapons escalate situations and teaching young people how to walk away and stay safe.

The foundation’s flagship 45-minute program is called 55 seconds, named after the time it took for Declan’s attacker to enter, attack and leave the bottle shop.

Samara Laverty, pictured with daughter Bridget Laverty at the Rally for Justice protest, believes her lived experience will make young people feel the human impact of their decisions. Picture: Brendan Radke

Ms Laverty said the program would target 14 to 25-year-olds and emphasised the impact violence had on perpetrators as well as victims – a key aspect she believed was often missed from intervention programs.

“In my case, he (the perpetrator) couldn’t care less what happened to us. He didn’t care that my daughter will never have a brother, her kids aren’t going to have an uncle ... he cares about what’s happening to him. So I’ve targeted it to the individual,” she said.

“Just trying to make it real and get those points through. I think that’s the biggest thing.

“Your family still has to live in society. Your siblings still have to go to school. Are you really the one who wants to put them in that position.”

Ms Laverty will deliver the foundation’s first session later this year in Darwin and hoped to reach as many young people in the Far North as possible, encouraging anyone interested to reach out.

“Two young men had their lives destroyed,” she said.

“One because he thought there were no consequences and the other for just trying to save his life.

“I am never going to reach every single kid but it’s not like this happened to a cousin’s next door neighbour, this happened to us.

“It is my child and I think that will have a different impact.”

Originally published as Cairns woman reeling from son’s death on a mission to curb rising violence