Babysitter says no to mum’s wish to be laid to rest with her son

Relations of Marie Comerford, the mum of three-year-old Johnathan who was killed in the Bridge Street bombings in 1993, appealed through the Warrington Guardian last year for permission to let the 53-year-old’s ashes be laid to rest with the toddler at Fox Covert cemetery.

Mrs Comerford , a mum-of-four sons, of Helsby Steet, Howley, died of natural causes in March last year. Janet Napier, deputy coronor for Cheshire, told Warrington Coroner’s Court in December that ‘she died of a broken heart’ and gave up on everything after the IRA attacks.

Her family hit a stumbling block when they learnt the deeds to the grave belonged to Samantha Thompson, the babysitter who was with Johnathan when he died. She was injured in the blasts and left scarred.

Samantha said: “I lay on the streets of Warrington, my torso full of fragments of a Warrington bin as a paramedic turned Johnathan’s little body over.

“That image has lived and will go on living forever in my mind. I may have lived but was left scarred both physically and emotionally.”

When Johnathan’s dad Wilf died of a heart attack in 2004 he left his estate and the deeds to the grave to Samantha. She said her loyalty remains with Wilf, not Marie’s family.

She said: “It could easily be said that Wilf too died of a broken heart. Had Wilf and Marie remained in a relationship I am in no doubt that Wilf’s estate, including the deeds, would have been left to Marie.

“Marie has several other children that have nothing to do with Wilf.

“If, God forbid, anything tragic had happened to any of them during the past 15 years, where would she have been buried? With which child? Wilf is her ex. Johnathan was his only son, his only child.”

Samantha said she feared that other family members would want to be buried at the plot in the future to be with their mum or relative.

She added: “A new plot should be bought for Mrs Comerford which, in the future, can be used for her estranged husband and other children. I have absolutely no doubt it is the right decision. Let that be the end.”

Speaking after Samantha’s decision, Tony Comerford, Marie’s husband, said: “The Town Hall should be ashamed of themselves, it was taxpayers’ money that paid for the grave. Marie is the mother and Samantha is no relation.

“I would be very grateful if she could just have a small bit of compassion for the family.”

Rose Latham, Marie’s sister, said that Wilf did not leave a message in the will to prevent Marie’s ashes being buried.

She said that the whole family had been affected by the ongoing row as they cannot grieve until her sister’s wishes are fulfilled.

Steven Comerford, Marie’s son, said no other family members want to be buried in the plot and said he felt disgusted with the decision. He asked Samantha how she would feel if it was her family.

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