Sixteen years ago innocent schoolboy Damilola Taylor lost his life on the streets of London.
In front of the world’s media, his parents embarked on a grueling path to find justice while attempting to manage their grief privately, behind closed doors.
The 10-year-old, who had moved to Britain from Nigeria just months earlier, was stabbed in the thigh with a broken beer bottle by a gang of youths as he walked home from the local library after school in November 2000.
He was found bleeding to death in a stairwell near his home in Peckham, south London, where local workmen tried to save his life.
Ricky Preddie, 13, and his younger brother Danny, were convicted of manslaughter and jailed for eight years in October 2006. The pair were charged in 2005 when forensic evidence, missed at the time, revealed tiny blood spots and fibres.
This drama tells the true story of the Taylor family, looking behind the headlines to reveal a surprising portrait of family, fatherhood, loss and love.
It introduces us to Damilola’s world, exploring his journey from Lagos to London, and his family’s quest for justice.
Told primarily from the point of view of Damilola’s father, Richard Taylor OBE, this is a surprising, intimate and deeply moving story of family and hope.
Babou Ceesay, who plays Richard, said: “It is a real honour to be part of the telling of this story. I feel a responsibility to the family, to Richard Taylor and of course to Damilola Taylor. I hope that in our own small way we can contribute to his legacy.”
Portraying Richard’s late wife, Gloria, Wunmi Mosaku added: “It is humbling to be a part of Our Loved Boy. Damilola’s smile still resonates deeply within the UK and beyond.”
The film has been made with the support of the Taylor family.
Damilola, Our Loved Boy will air on BBC One on Monday 7 November, 20.30