The father of stabbing victim Dean Young yesterday called for the death penalty to be used in Bermuda to curb the rise in violent crime.

Randolph Young told The Royal Gazette : "We have got capital punishment on the books and we should use it because too many people are getting away with murder.

"The man who did this could go to jail, and I can't even hold Dean anymore.

It is isn't fair, he should die. I don't believe that as a taxpayer I should be paying for him to sit in Westgate.'' Mr. Young, 32, of Princess Estate Road, Pembroke, was stabbed to death around 3 a.m. on Saturday during a fight at a house in Crossland Lane, Pembroke.

Police officers and an off-duty emergency medical technician gave him CPR at the scene in a bid to save him, but he was declared dead on arrival at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Mr. Young Sr., 56, said he and his four surviving sons wanted revenge for Dean's death.

"I am upset, I am angry and I am revengeful,'' he said. "This is someone that God gave to me and his mother and another man has taken him from us. They have taken a brother that everybody cared for.

"We all want some kind of revenge for Dean's death, not us killing this guy but we want something to avenge his death in some way.'' Mr. Young said he wanted to thank everyone who had got in touch with his family to offer their condolences for the death of his son. Dean, a former driver for Stationery Store and popular footballer who played with Young Men's Social Club, has a four-year-old son -- Shiloh.

Mr. Young Sr. added: "This black on black crime has got to stop because all we are doing is destroying our young black men. This crime was so senseless.

`Killer should get death' "I was brought up to believe if you fight, you fight fairly and Dean treated everyone fairly and with love.

"All Dean was about was respect and trust.'' A 34-year-old St. George's man who was arrested in connection with the killing has still not appeared in court to be charged.

A Police spokesman was yesterday unable to say when he would appear in court.