Iraq loss soldier’s mum hit by second tragedy
Jan 9 2008 by Paul Loraine, The Journal
THE mother of Private Michael Tench, a North-East soldier killed in Iraq, has been devastated by another sudden death in the family.
In January last year, Janice Murray was crushed by the news of her son being killed by a roadside bomb, and now she is having to come to terms with the unexplained death of her younger sister, Christine Lafferty.
Mrs Lafferty, 43, collapsed and died on December 27 at her home on Alverstone Road, Farringdon, near Sunderland.
Having been left in the dark for a long time over the reason’s for her 18-year-old son’s death, Mrs Murray now faces another wait before an inquest will determine the cause of Christine’s passing.
She said: “I got the call from my other sister Donna saying she had stood up and then hit the floor.
“The GP had just been in and the next thing we knew there were paramedics working on her, but it was too late.
“All I know is that she just collapsed. We haven’t been told anything further yet and there’s going to be an inquest.”
A former bakery worker, Mrs Lafferty was divorced with three children – Nathan, 14, Gavin, 21, and Samantha, 25. Having come through a 15-year battle with cervical cancer, she had recently been in relatively good health, according to Mrs Murray. The family have decided not to hold a funeral service but Mrs Lafferty is to be cremated at Sunderland crematorium today.
Admitting all her recent suffering had left her numb, Mrs Murray said her sister would be badly missed.
“We were very close except for the last few months because I was dealing with Christmas without Michael,” she said.
“The impact all of this has had on the family is huge. To have lost Michael, and now this, it’s numbing.
“I’ve become like a computer at the moment, I’m just very numb. That’s how I keep going.
“Christine was very bubbly – a total laugh a minute and really family orientated.
“She was a real battler as well because she had cervical cancer for 15 years.
“She was very tough, but very sociable and friendly as well.”
The death of Mrs Lafferty came as 46-year-old Mrs Murray was preparing for the first anniversary of her son’s death.
Having lost two family members in such a short period, she is now finding solace in looking after her grandchildren – Ellie, two, and Michael, eight months – at the home she shares with her husband Derek in Carley Hill, Sunderland.
“The kids really keep me going,” she said.
“We have a close family, though, at times like this.
“We all stand united when we need each other. We are always at the end of the phone if anyone needs anything.”
An inquest into Mrs Lafferty’s death has been opened and adjourned for further reports.
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Army had to issue apology
Pte Tench, of the Light Infantry, was killed by a roadside bomb in Basra on January 21 last year.
The Army issued an apology to his mother in October for the confusion over how he died.
She had initially been told he had died of a chest wound and his body was intact, but several days later she was told his funeral had to be postponed for DNA tests on separate body parts.
Mrs Murray said it was not until August, when she saw photographs of her son’s body, that she learned the extent of his injuries.
He had suffered multiple injuries, including the loss of one arm and one leg.
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