When a family loses a child in the most brutal and senseless way, the last thing they expect is to have to fight for a change in the law.
But that’s exactly what Pooja Kanda and her family did after her teenage son Ronan was murdered just steps from his Wolverhampton home by two boys wielding a ninja sword.
Now, after a long and emotional campaign, new legislation dubbed Ronan’s Law has come into force—finally banning the very weapon that ended his life.
Murder Over Mistaken Identity Left a Family Shattered
Back in 2022, 16-year-old Ronan Kanda had simply gone to a friend’s house to buy a PlayStation controller.
On his walk home, he was attacked and fatally stabbed by two 17-year-old boys—Prabjeet Veadhesa and Sukhman Shergill—who wrongly believed he was someone else.
What followed was described by Mr Justice Choudhury as a “cowardly attack” and a “tragic coincidence.”
Both teens were later sentenced to life in prison—Veadhesa to a minimum of 18 years, and Shergill to at least 16 years.
A Devastated Mother Recalls Seeing the Weapon in Court
Speaking on Good Morning Britain today, Ronan’s mother, Pooja, opened up about the terrifying moment she first laid eyes on the ninja sword used to kill her son.
“When I saw the weapon in the courtroom, I fainted,” she recalled.
“I didn’t realise just how big and horrifying it was.
It was heart-wrenching to think Ronan had to face that in his final moments.”
She also revealed the truly shocking detail that the murderer had 25 similar weapons in total.
“It wasn’t just one or two,” she said. “He had 25 of these swords. Why was it that easy to get them?”
Ronan’s Sister Slams Ease of Access to Deadly Weapons
Ronan’s sister, Nikita, echoed her mother’s outrage. “He bought it like it was a loaf of bread,” she said. “
No ID, no checks. He just ordered it online and collected it from the post office.”
For the family, this lack of oversight has been just as painful as the crime itself.
They’ve spent the last three years pushing for stricter laws, insisting it should never have been possible for a teenager to get their hands on a deadly weapon with such ease.
Ronan’s Law Finally Comes Into Force
Today marks a bittersweet milestone for the Kanda family: the official introduction of Ronan’s Law.
Under this new legislation, it is now illegal to own, sell, make, or import ninja swords in the UK.
Even private possession is a criminal offence, carrying a sentence of up to six months in prison, with plans to raise that to two years as part of the wider Crime and Policing Bill.
Stronger Penalties for Selling Weapons to Under-18s
The law goes further too. Anyone caught selling weapons—including illegal knives—to children could now face up to two years in jail.
This includes not just individual sellers but also company owners who fail to enforce proper controls.
Retailers are now required to report bulk or suspicious sales of knives or weapons to the police.
These new measures aim to shut down the pipeline that has made it far too easy for dangerous items to end up in the hands of teenagers.
Ronan’s Killer Used a Weapon Not Covered by Previous Knife Ban
Last September, the UK banned the sale of “zombie-style” knives and machetes—but ninja swords like the one used to kill Ronan weren’t included at the time.
That exclusion, Ronan’s mother says, was bizarre.
“This kind of sword is so clearly dangerous,” Nikita added.
“How was it not banned already? The size alone should make it obvious it’s not something anyone should be allowed to buy.”
A Mother’s Message of Pain and Purpose
Pooja Kanda knows this new law won’t bring her son back, but she hopes it can stop other families from experiencing the same nightmare.
“It’s a very bittersweet moment,” she said. “No mother should ever have to go through this.
Ronan should have come home that day. He was just walking back from his friend’s house.
The murderer mistook him for someone else—it was cruel.”
A Sister’s Grief and a Nation’s Wake-Up Call
For Nikita, the past three years have been nothing short of unbearable.
“They’ve been the worst years of my life,” she said.
“It’s been hard to even process how easily someone could get a weapon like that.”
Thanks to the tireless efforts of Ronan’s loved ones, the UK is finally catching up with the danger of unregulated knife sales.
But for one family in Wolverhampton, the change is a small comfort in the face of a terrible loss.