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Hi, it's Van Veen. Today we've got something a little different for you. If you're a regular listener to the story, then you'll have heard Luke and I speak to the Times crime correspondent,

David Wood, on topics like stop and search and knife crime. Well, we're handing him the reins

today so that you can hear an in-depth interview he's done with a teenager

who was recently convicted of possessing a knife, as David tries to understand why he felt

the need to carry one.

From the Times and the Sunday Times, this is the story. I'm David Wood.

Reporting on murders, serious assaults and robberies make up a big part of my job as the crime correspondent.

Most weeks you'll find me on the press bench in court, seeing a murder suspect in the dock,

or hearing evidence of a victim's final

moments before they were killed.

Every day, I receive alerts when a stabbing is reported in England and Wales.

And I'll be honest, I can't tell you how many I've reported on since joining the Times

almost three years ago.

While in court, I noticed patterns in the cases I covered.

The knife attacks were increasingly violent and frenzied.

...