THE mother of a 19-year-old student stabbed to death feels no "hatred or bitterness" towards her son's killer.

Jordan Mayers, aged 20, plunged a knife into the neck of Emmanuel Odunewu after challenging him to a fight at a bus stop in Lewisham High Street on November 28 last year.

Emmanuel collapsed in front of shoppers just yards from Lewisham police station.

He died in hospital two days later.

Mayers denied murder but was found guilty by a jury in July.

When sentenced last Thursday, he was given a life sentence and told he would serve at least 16 years in jail.

Speaking afterwards, Emmanuel's mother, the Reverend Nancy Odunewu, told News Shopper: "I don't know if justice will ever be done.

"He still has his life to live. My son hasn't got that.

"A consolation is Mayers will not walk the streets for a long time."

She added: "I don't have any hatred or bitterness towards him.

"If he could look at what he has done and promise not to commit such a crime again, then I could maybe forgive.

"If you do not forgive, then you hold yourself to ransom."

Witnesses told how Mayers had approached Emmanuel at 4.30pm.

One heard a shout and then saw a scuffle between the two.

Emmanuel was already bleeding when he managed to fight Mayers off but moments later he suffered a fatal stab wound to the carotid artery.

During the hearing, Ms Odunewu, 44, from Ladywell, said the family had been devastated by the murder.

She said her son's dream was to finish his sports science degree at Kingston University and become a sports trainer in time for the 2012 London Olympics.

The mother- of-four added: "Emmanuel is missed terribly by the family.

"Throughout his life he was always a tower of strength to me.

"He was full of life, extremely intelligent and always worked hard to achieve his goals. "Our entire family has been ripped apart."

Mayers, of Birch Grove, Grove Park, had claimed the witnesses were mistaken in identifying him.

Kim Hollis, representing Mayers, said he had a bright future before the killing and worked voluntarily with disadvantaged youths for an organisation in Croydon.

She added: "This was a spontaneous attack as a result of some verbal confrontation.

"This murder was tragically out of character."

Ms Odunewu, who works at the Joint Council of African and Anglo-Caribbean Churches in Herne Hill, added: "It's a very sad thing, the number of young people dying because of knife and gun crime.

"It needs to stop now. It's causing great devastation to so many communities and families.

"I would appeal to everyone not to carry a knife.

"If you don't carry a weapon, then you can't use one."

Judge Sir Peter Gross, sitting in the High Court, told Mayers: "It must be unrealistic to assume this was a purely random attack.

"The motive was in all likelihood relating to some pre-existing dispute between you."