Donna Delbono, 42, turned in her teenage son Joshua, 19, to police after learning he had stabbed 16-year-old Charley Bates in a pub car park in Radstock, Somerset, last July.
He is now sentenced to 21 years in prison, at least.
In an exclusive interview with DailyMail on Sunday, mother-of-seven Donna described her actions as ‘the hardest choice any parent will ever have to make’.
‘I was brought up to know the difference between right and wrong, and to always try to do the right thing in life, no matter how hard it is. Even though it was such a tough choice to make, I know I’d do the same again.
Ms Delbono, from Frome, Somerset, continued: ‘I couldn’t have lived with myself if I’d chosen instead not to call the police. I feel terrible that Charley Bates lost his life and my sympathies go out to his family.’
Joshua, a bricklayer, was sentenced to life at Bristol Crown Court last week, and told he must serve at least 21 years in prison after he was found guilty following a two-week trial.
Ms Delbono’s call to police was played in court.
The jury heard her say: ‘My son’s killed someone. It was at Radstock earlier. He’s just come back and I’ve found out. He’s in my house now but I can’t let him go anywhere.’
Ms Delbono told The Mail on Sunday she had come home after a night out with friends, and her daughter, Jade, said that Joshua had confided in her what had happened.
She said: ‘Jade said he’d stabbed this boy, who he had never met before, then gone off to bed.
I ran straight into his bedroom and turned on the light. Josh was asleep and I was shaking him awake, but when he came to he admitted everything.
He said he was scared and didn’t know what to do. I said there was only one thing he could do – hand himself in to the police.
‘But he said he was too terrified, so I said if he wouldn’t call them, I would. He just nodded. So I grabbed my phone and dialled 999.
‘My son will have to live with this for the rest of his life.’
The court heard how the dispute was between Charley Bates and one of Delbono’s friends over money.
A fight reportedly ensued, before friends of both became involved. Delbono stabbed Mr Bates in the chest, the court heard.
