Ex-QPR, Cardiff, Newport, Wales U21s player Leon Jeanne was led out at a church in cuffs after attending his son’s funeral.
The former footballer was let out of prison on day release this week so that he can attend the funeral of his son, who was one of three victims in a car accident in Cardiff.
A minute’s silence was held at the Cardiff City Stadium before the Bluebirds’ game against West Brom, to remember those who sadly died.
Two probation officers accompanied Leon Jeanne, once dubbed Wales’s most promising footballer, as he paid respect to the loss of his 24 year old son Rafel, at St Peter’s Church, Cardiff.
Rafel, Darcy Ross, and Eve Smith, both 21, lost their lives in the crash with Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, survived, having been trapped in the car wreckage for 46 hours.
Police found them near St Mellon’s, Cardiff round the A48 on the 6th of March.
Hundreds turned out to pay their respect at Rafel’s funeral.
Several friends were also present on quads and motorbikes behind the the hearse along with the family cars.
Leon Jeanne, who began his footballing career at just 10 years old when he was spotted by an Arsenal scout, was handcuffed by a probation officer as they made their way into and out of the church.
Ex-QPR player Leon Jeanne, 42, is allowed out on day release from prison for son’s funeral https://t.co/myT6XvlEfP pic.twitter.com/Vg6E5HmJgj
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) April 4, 2023
Ex-QPR, Cardiff, Newport, Wales player led out at church in cuffs after attending son’s funeral
Hundreds of people gathered for the funeral of Rafel Jeanne, one of three people killed in a crash in Cardiff
The car they were in went missing and was found in the St Mellons area in Marchhttps://t.co/I9w7eXcZeA pic.twitter.com/ciDr5uBLg5
— BBC Wales News (@BBCWalesNews) April 4, 2023
After being chased at 100 mph by police on the same road his son was found dead, Leon was convicted in 2019 of dangerous driving.
Later, he was sent to prison because he had broken a curfew.
He was sentenced to 30 months in prison eight years ago for his part in a conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Rafel’s family collected donations for the charity 2wish.
Father Chris Fuse, who led the service, said there were more than 400 people in the church.
“What impressed me was the vast number of young people who came today – many of them looking rather solemn considering the background of Rafel’s death and his friends,’ as per the BBC.
‘But they responded to the sense of prayer, to this being a house of God and they responded to a sense of being together and that’s what we hoped to emphasise. A community meeting together in faith and friendship.
‘It was very nice to see such a vast turn out – it means the family will have a lot of support which they certainly need.
‘He was a very popular sportsman. I think that you can see – in him and in young people – hope for the future and so we did talk a bit about hope and we did have a reading of St Paul speaking about hope.
‘His mum also said that’s all we can cling to – hope for a good future.’
As the inquest opens, Eve, Darcy and Rafel are identified by their mothers after the tragedy.
Three hearings on the deaths were held in separate sessions. None of them gave a provisional cause.
The inquests were rescheduled for a later date by Coroner David Regan.
The missing group were reported to Gwent Police on the 4th of March, and the case was referred to South Wales police the following day.
They had previously been to Maesglas’ Muffler social club, Newport, and traveled 40 miles to Trecco Bay, Porthcawl.
The last time they were reported was shortly after 2am on Saturday, just before their car ran off of the A48.
Sophie Russon’s mother said that her daughter was conscious for some time after the crash. She tried calling out but no one was near enough to hear her.
Sophie Russon’s mother, Anna Certowicz, 42, drove about in a desperate search for her daughter after police officers told her to “stop ringing” the station for updates.
She told the Daily Mail: “They didn’t seem to care. I had to drive to Cardiff to knock on doors myself because they were doing sod all. They just didn’t seem to think it was worth investigating. It was so frustrating.”
Eve Smith’s death was another sad death for her family after her sister Xana also died in a car accident in January 2015, caused by a drunk driver.
The police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating Gwent Police and South Wales Police’s response to the tragedy.
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