A VICAR yesterday branded the killing of a young father in Oxford “senseless” and called for justice to be done.

The Rev Adam Romanis said the stabbing of father-of-one Blayne Ridgway was “violent and horrible”.

He was speaking to more than 400 people who packed into SS Mary and John Church in Cowley Road for Mr Ridgway’s funeral yesterday afternoon.

The 22-year-old was stabbed outside the Que Pasa bar in the city centre in the early hours of Saturday, May 8.

He died later that morning in Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital.

Rev Romanis told mourners: “Blayne’s death was senseless.

“All the pain and shock would have been easier to bear if it made sense, but it does not.

“The greatest gift anyone can receive from God is that of another human being. Blayne himself received that same gift.

“God gives and God takes away, and he has seen his son taken away violently and horribly.”

He added: “We all pray that justice will be done.”

Mr Ridgway’s coffin arrived at the church on a horse-drawn carriage. After the service, he was buried in the churchyard of St Mary the Virgin, in Iffley.

During the ceremony his girlfriend Chrissie Atkins paid tribute to the former Peers School pupil and said they were looking forward to spending the rest of their lives with their two-year-old son Reko.

She said: “Over the past three years I have watched you change. After the birth of our son, family became everything to you.

“I always loved you and knew you loved me. No one can take my memories away, and I will miss you forever. I still can’t believe you were taken away from us.”

Mr Ridgway’s father Frankie Adams also paid tribute to his son.

The 47-year-old, of Bullingdon Road, Cowley, who has been battling bone cancer for a year, said: “I’m not a very talkative person.But I just want to say I will miss him very much and will always love him.”

Poems were read by Mr Ridgway’s sister, Karis Daniels, 24, and a song, written for him by friend Jordan Daniel, was played.

Mourners sang hymns including The Old Rugged Cross and All Things Bright and Beautiful.

A reception was held at the East Oxford Community Centre in Princes Street.

Last month more than 100 family and friends gathered at the centre for a ‘Peace Dance’ in his memory and used the event to warn of the dangers of street violence.

They wore T-shirts bearing the slogan ‘Together We Can Stop Knife Crime’ and called on the police to do more to tackle knife crime in Oxford.

  • A 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with murdering Mr Ridgway and remains in custody.