Almost two years on from the killing of Swindon teen Owen Dunn, one of his killers remains legally protected from being identified. 

The 18-year-old's mother Zoe Mitchell is now calling for a change in the law that grants people under the age of 18 anonymity in criminal courts, regardless of what is they have done. 

Speaking to the BBC, she said: "The justice system needs to be looked at, I believe that if a child kills someone, regardless of their age, they should be named, not protected," she said. 

Two Swindon teenagers were convicted of murdering Owen Dunn after stabbing him to death in December 2022. 

One of them - Tyler Hunt - who was 17 at the time but 18 when the murder trial took place late last year was named because he had legally become an adult. 

But as is routine the identity of the second one - who was just 14 at the time and who was also the one to actually deal the fatal blow to Owen - was subject to an order under section 45 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act, which prevented its publication. 

This order applies to all media organisations and members of the public too, for example on social media.

Those who breach an order under section 45 are liable to criminal prosecution and if convicted, face an unlimited fine.

(Image: Newsquest) But ahead of sentencing, two applications were made by the media in a bid to overturn the reporting restrictions, one by the Swindon Advertiser and South West News Service, and a second by the BBC.

Read More: Owen Dunn's family criticise decision to give murderer anonymity

Despite both arguing that lifting this restriction was in the public interest, they were turned down by the judge.

In response to this in January of this year, Owen Dunn's family said: “But we do not think that the judge has done enough.

"She chose those sentences, and she chose not to allow the 15-year-old to be named and we just do not think it will deter youngsters from committing these crimes because it feels like they have been thought more of as victims than Owen, or his family and friends."

The 16-year-old will be 18 in 2026 so will be able to be legally identified at this time. 

Hunt, of Park South, was sentenced to a minimum term of 19 years in prison while the 16-year-old was sentenced to 12 years in prison.