A GRIEVING mother says justice has not been done after the drug-user who stabbed her son seven times was jailed for two and a half years.

1 Christian Coleman, 18, died on the day his sister was born last June.

But his mother Deborah, 38, says the sentenee has added to her distress.

Leigh Brown, 21, was arrested on suspicion of murder after Christian's body was found at Brown's mother's home in Tideswell Road, Eastbourne.

But pathology reports later showed the youngster died of heroin intoxication, not the knife wounds inflicted by Brown.

Brown admitted causing actual bodily harm, supplying heroin to Christian and an unrelated charge of having heroin.

Mother-of-seven Deborah, of Linden Close, Eastbourne, said: "It's disgusting. Burglars get longer sentances - and my son's dead.

"To say we were shocked at the outcome is an understatement. I just don't understand it."

She was in labour with her youngest daughter Felicity when CID officers arrived at Eastbourne District General Hospital to tell her Christian was dead.

Deborah said: "We didn't even get the chance to say goodbye."

Because of the circumstances surrounding Christian's death, several post mortem examinations had to be carried out and his body was only released three months later.

Now the family want the chance to say all the things they were not allowed to in court.

Deborah said: "They said Christian was going shoplifting, but I know he had £140 on him to buy trainers and some t-shirts.

"Brown wasn't his friend. Christian had lots of friends. They used to come and knock for him. But I've never seen Brown before the court case."

Deborah said her football-loving son had been so well thought of that teachers from his infants and junior schools had come to his funeral.

She said: "If he was a bad boy they wouldn't have bothered would they?

"Even the local bobby stopped me in Sainsbury's to say how sorry he was and what a nice lad Christian had been."

Worshipped by his younger brothers and sisters, Deborah wants people to know what the real Christian was like.

She said: "In court they made out he was totally off his head.

"Christian had smoked heroin but he wasn't an addict and that is nothing to do with the fact he was stabbed.

"He was never disrespectful to us, or caused us any trouble. He had a job working as an apprentice decorator for his grandad.

"Christian supported Arsenal and loved keeping fit. He was a very placid and gentle person. That's why this is so hard to bear."

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