'˜Our full-of-life Luke was stolen from us'

The heartbroken mother of Luke Jeffrey says their family's future has forever been '˜torn apart' by his death.
Chichester College student Luke Jeffrey died from a single knife wound on March 11, 2016Chichester College student Luke Jeffrey died from a single knife wound on March 11, 2016
Chichester College student Luke Jeffrey died from a single knife wound on March 11, 2016

Emily Jeffrey paid an emotional tribute to her son in court today, as Samuel Morgan was sentenced over the death of the Bognor Regis teenager. Full story here

Mrs Jeffrey said: “Luke was born on December 24, Christmas Eve, 1997. I call that his sunrise.

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“Luke was such a happy child, he brought great joy to the whole family.

Luke Jeffrey died of a single stab wound to the chest on March 11, 2016Luke Jeffrey died of a single stab wound to the chest on March 11, 2016
Luke Jeffrey died of a single stab wound to the chest on March 11, 2016

“On March 11, last year, Luke was stolen from us.

“Since that day, there don’t seem to have been any sunrises for us.

“In the early hours of March 12, when Luke lost his life, at Southampton General Hospital, that was Luke’s sunset.

“Luke won’t have anymore tomorrows, he will never feel the sun on his back again.

“We, Luke’s family, are completely bereft.”

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Luke was studying to become a fitness instructor at Chichester college and Mrs Jeffrey said it was his ‘true passion’, calling him a ‘dedicated student’.

She said her son was often seen walking around Chichester in a vest or tee-shirt because he didn’t feel the cold.

In a tearful tribute to her son, Mrs Jeffrey said: “Now Luke will never pass his driving test, go on his first lads’ holiday, get married or have children.

“I will never have the pleasure of Luke’s children calling me grandma.

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“When Luke was 12 years old we were blessed with another child, Luke’s sister, who is now six.

“From day one Luke was in love and utterly devoted to his little sister, they became inseparable. They were best friends, and the patience and love Luke had for her was boundless.

“She is now an only child, we haven’t only lost Luke, we’ve lost a big part of her too.

“She has asked when she dies that she be buried next to her brother, so they can be together again, because she misses him so much.”

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Mrs Jeffrey said: “The last time I saw Luke alive was for a fleeting moment when he was being transferred from St Richard’s Hospital to Southampton.

“He was surrounded by hospital staff as they wheeled his trolley outside to an awaiting ambulance.

“All I could do is reach out and touch his grey, tiny face and tell him I loved him before he was whisked away.

“It was some five days later we were able to visit him in a mortuary.”

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Mrs Jeffrey said the family visits her son’s grave every day.

“We all sleep less soundly than we used to,” she said.

“I’m haunted by the pain Luke experienced when he was stabbed on that fateful night, and though he was 18 years old, I wasn’t there to protect him.

“I haven’t come to terms with the reality that I’ll never hear his voice again.

“I’ll never hear him say I love you mum, which he said whenever we spoke.

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“We all miss our boy so much, he was so full of life and we haven’t come to terms with the fact that he will never walk through the door, scoop his sister up in a big hug, or join us for a family meal ever again.

“Every second of every day we are crying just a little bit more inside because we won’t ever share anything else with our beautiful boy ever again.

“Everything which we once enjoyed together is now overshadowed by a deep sense of sadness, loss and pain, which will not ever, even for one second, go away.

“We now face a lifetime of feeling this way.

“Luke should be here always, our future as a family has been torn apart.”

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