Family of murdered teen says 'life sentence is ours' as killer jailed

The family of a teenager murdered at a party say they have served a “life sentence” as their son's killer was jailed for life.

Charlie Cosser, 17, was stabbed three times in the chest under a marquee in a farm compound during a private party attended by more than 100 people in Warnham, West Sussex, on 23 July 2023.

His killer, Yura Varybrus, who was 16 at the time, was found guilty of murder and possession of a sharp article following a trial at Brighton Crown Court.

Charlie's father, Martin Cosser, said the minimum sentence of 16 years imposed on the 17-year-old defendant, minus 328 days already spent in custody, was “not enough”.

Speaking outside court, he said: “We haven’t even started to mourn Charlie yet. We now have to try to start that adjustment process and put behind us what, like I said, I have to be honest, it was a really disappointing day for us.

“He's going to spend some time in prison, but he'll still have a chance to appear before a parole board in 15 years and two weeks, and he'll be able to sit there and say why he thinks he's okay with come. get out of prison.

“The life sentence is ours. It’s a life sentence… when life is this severe, it’s permanent. So Charlie is not coming back to our house.

The courtroom was packed with family members Wednesday as Varybrus was sentenced, and Charlie's family gave emotional statements in court about the impact Charlie's death had on them.

The court heard more than 700 people attended the funeral of Charlie, also known as Cheeks, who was described by his mother Tara Cosser as “calm” and “relaxed”. She said he never fought and “got along with everyone.”

He was also “so excited” to go on his first holiday with friends to Zante, which he had saved for.

She added: “We have a life sentence, and Charlie has no life.

“No sentence will be long enough for the murderer of my child. This doesn't bring Charlie back.

The mother-of-three said that before Charlie's death she was “happy” and had a “normal, happy family life”, but she no longer knows what happiness looks like.

Of Charlie, she added: “(The) impact of his loss will last forever. Just numbness and sadness.

“When I laugh or smile, I feel so guilty.

“I send him a WhatsApp message every morning.”

Since his death, the family have set up a charity called Charlie's Promise, dedicated to tackling knife crime in Surrey and across the UK.

Mr Cosser also told the court how the charity was set up in his memory as a promise he made to Charlie before his life support was switched off.

He said the charity had already raised £135,000.

“The manner in which Charlie was killed haunts me and my beautiful family every minute of every day and will haunt us forever,” he said.

“He certainly didn’t want to die, he had his whole life, so many projects ahead of him.”

The grandfather said that without his two other children, “I would end my life.”

“I have to force myself to keep going when all I want to do is die,” he said.

Mr Cosser said he had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, which was made worse by details of the attack on his son, who “hated any confrontation” and “even raised his voice”.

Charlie’s older brother Adam Cosser added: “I am so broken, like everyone else in the family, that words can’t describe it.

“I would understand better if Charlie was part of a gang or if he had a bad streak. He wasn't part of a gang and he didn't have a bone in his body.

His sister Eloise, 16, told the court Charlie was her “partner in crime from day one”, adding: “He was the person who made me laugh uncontrollably.

“He was so much more.” He was truly my first best friend.

She described the night the police came knocking on the door to tell the family that Charlie was in hospital and that her brother was “so meek and didn't deserve this.”

Seeing him in the hospital, she said she wanted to “switch places” with him so he wouldn’t suffer.

The teenager also described how it affected her ability to take her GCSEs, instead of spending weeks attending her brother's murder trial where she wore her favorite jumper every day.

“I feel like I’m at the darkest time of my life,” she said.

“I just want to be a normal teenager. I have never felt so alone.

Speaking to the PA news agency after sentencing, Mr Cosser said there were missed opportunities on the night Charlie was killed, adding: “If anyone that night , who had heard that there was 'a knife', 'a rod', at this party and reported it, Charlie could very well have been alive.

“There were missed opportunities at this party by a number of people who could have prevented this.

“So if you're that member of the public that I'm talking about… if you notice someone carrying, report it, just report it because you could save a life and a family like ours that is going through this hell absolute.”