March 2010 April 2010 May 2010 June 2010 July 2010
August 2010
September 2010 October 2010
November 2010
December 2010
January 2011
February 2011 March 2011 April 2011 May 2011 June 2011 July 2011 August 2011 September 2011 October 2011 November 2011 December 2011 January 2012 February 2012 March 2012 April 2012 May 2012 June 2012 July 2012 August 2012 September 2012 October 2012 November 2012 December 2012 January 2013 February 2013 March 2013 April 2013 May 2013 June 2013 July 2013 August 2013 September 2013 October 2013 November 2013 December 2013 January 2014 February 2014 March 2014 April 2014 May 2014 June 2014 July 2014 August 2014 September 2014 October 2014 November 2014 December 2014 January 2015 February 2015 March 2015 April 2015 May 2015 June 2015 July 2015 August 2015 September 2015 October 2015 November 2015 December 2015 January 2016 February 2016 March 2016 April 2016 May 2016 June 2016 July 2016 August 2016 September 2016 October 2016 November 2016 December 2016 January 2017 February 2017 March 2017 April 2017 May 2017 June 2017 July 2017 August 2017 September 2017 October 2017 November 2017 December 2017 January 2018 February 2018 March 2018 April 2018 May 2018 June 2018 July 2018 August 2018 September 2018 October 2018 November 2018 December 2018 January 2019 February 2019 March 2019 April 2019 May 2019 June 2019 July 2019 August 2019 September 2019 October 2019 November 2019 December 2019 January 2020 February 2020 March 2020 April 2020 May 2020 June 2020 July 2020 August 2020 September 2020 October 2020 November 2020 December 2020 January 2021 February 2021 March 2021 April 2021 May 2021 June 2021 July 2021 August 2021 September 2021 October 2021 November 2021 December 2021 January 2022 February 2022 March 2022 April 2022 May 2022 June 2022 July 2022 August 2022 September 2022 October 2022 November 2022 December 2022 January 2023 February 2023 March 2023 April 2023 May 2023 June 2023 July 2023 August 2023 September 2023 October 2023 November 2023 December 2023 January 2024 February 2024 March 2024
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29
30
31
News Every Day |

Mum of Richard Okorogheye speaks of ‘huge void’ without him at Christmas

Evidence Joel, the mother of Richard Okorogheye, has spoken of  marking Christmas Day without her son (Picture: Evidence Joel/@evi.joel.q/PA/Sky News)
Evidence Joel, the mother of Richard Okorogheye, has spoken of marking Christmas Day without her son (Picture: Evidence Joel/Instagram/@evi.joel.q/PA/Sky News)

Richard Okorogheye and his mum, Evidence Joel, used to celebrate Christmas Day with a special breakfast.

They would spend the morning at church and before the big day he liked to help her put the lights up on the tree.

This year, for the first time, Evidence is spending the festive season without her ‘beloved’ son, after her world changed forever when the 19-year-old went missing on March 22, 2021.

His body was found in Epping Forest two weeks later.

Now, speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk, she says her ‘house is cold’ and she feels ‘anxious’ about the void the teenager has left in her life.

But the 39-year-old will keep him in her thoughts as she says prayers on Christmas morning for God to ‘grant Richard paradise’.

‘The house is already feeling cold without Richard,’ Evidence says.

‘I no longer have the warmth of my son, asking me how I am when I come in. The emptiness is hitting me, and although we’re going to celebrate, it’s not going to be the same without Richard.

‘I can foresee what it is going to look like and to be honest, I’m very anxious about it. How do I celebrate Christmas without my son?’

Evidence Joel says her son, Richard Okorogheye, would be 'thrilled' by her blood donation drive (Picture: Evidence Joel)
Evidence Joel with her son Richard Okoregheye who will be in her thoughts and prayers over Christmas (Picture: Evidence Joel)

Richard, a first-year computer science student at Oxford Brookes University, was last seen on CCTV walking towards the forest in Essex.

Evidence previously spoke to Metro.co.uk for our State of Racism series about how she encountered a ‘dismissive’ attitude from police as she tried to raise the alarm over the course of two days and race hampered the way the reports were handled.

Richard’s body was found by police divers in a pond at the beauty spot, located 20 miles from their family home in Ladbroke Grove, West London.

As she waits from answers from an independent investigation into the Metropolitan Police’s handling of the case, Evidence will keep him in her thoughts on December 25.

Evidence Joel by a picture showing her side-by-side with her son (Picture: Evidence Joel/Instagram/evi.joel.9)
Evidence Joel by a picture showing her side-by-side with her son (Picture: Evidence Joel/Instagram/evi.joel.9)

‘I always spent that time with my son,’ she says.

‘I would work and come back in the morning and see him. Sometimes I would take the whole Christmas week off to spend it with him and do something wonderful.

‘I have such wonderful memories of putting the Christmas lights up and having a special breakfast in the morning.

‘He would say, “mummy we’ve got to put the lights up”, he would be so excited. When they were up he would say, “that looks absolutely stunning”.

‘We would go to a church service in the morning, open Christmas presents and have a special morning breakfast. The thought of doing it all without him is scary.

Two more Met officers being investigated over Richard Okorogheye disappearance
Richard Okorogheye would spend a family Christmas at home in London helping to put the lights up and enjoying a special breakfast (Picture: PA)

‘There is already a huge emptiness but it is getting larger and it is really kicking in. I’m really afraid, scared and worried that I can’t spend Christmas with my beloved son, Richard.

‘There’s a huge void that nothing can fill.’

The staff nurse has since completed a blood donation campaign to remember the teenager, whose quality of life was drastically improved by transfusions for sickle cell disorder.

She took part in the Bonded by Blood appeal, aimed at addressing a shortage of donors in the Black community, which is disproportionately affected by the condition.

Evidence told Metro.co.uk it had been a success, with Richard’s memory pulling in many people to make donations.

She will now keep him in her prayers on Christmas Day.

State of Racism: Mother of Richard Okorogheye says he would be 'thrilled' by her blood donation drive Picture: Evidence Joel
Evidence Joel says there is a void in her life where her son would have been but he will ‘always be my baby’ (Picture: Evidence Joel)

‘I will pray to God to grant Richard paradise and for him to rest in the bosom of almighty God,’ she says.

‘He is a young, innocent soul and mummy will be thinking about him every second. Even though he’s not here physically, I’ll always love him and he’ll always be my baby.

‘But Christmas will never be the same without him.’

Do you have a story you would like to share? Contact josh.layton@metro.co.uk

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Москва

Как спасти отношения: групповая терапия для счастливой семьи

Top 10 Emmanuelle Seigner Movies

I was diagnosed with cancer aged 39… you are never too rich, too famous or too young, says Dr Philippa Kaye

Top 5 Websites to Watch FREE Movies - TV Shows (No Sign up!)

Top 10 Love Affair Movies of the 2000s and 2010s

Ria.city






Read also

Joey believes Reece Walsh's contract is a no-brainer: Immortal Behaviour - EP03

Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo rips NFL over season-opener's streaming exclusivity: 'I want to watch the game normal'

Joe Lieberman, Former Vice Presidential Nominee & Connecticut Senator, Dies at 82

News, articles, comments, with a minute-by-minute update, now on Today24.pro

News Every Day

I was diagnosed with cancer aged 39… you are never too rich, too famous or too young, says Dr Philippa Kaye

Today24.pro — latest news 24/7. You can add your news instantly now — here


News Every Day

Top 5 Websites to Watch FREE Movies - TV Shows (No Sign up!)



Sports today


Новости тенниса
WTA

Азаренко вышла в полуфинал турнира WTA-1000 в Майами



Спорт в России и мире
Москва

В хоккейном ЦСКА сменился главный тренер



All sports news today





Sports in Russia today

Москва

В хоккейном ЦСКА сменился главный тренер


Новости России

Game News

Пробный запуск God Wars: Cross Worlds — idle-RPG с богами и путешествиями во времени


Russian.city


Москва

В России назвали топ самых благополучных регионов по итогам 2023 года


Губернаторы России
Татьяна Рязапова

АИРР на Стартап-туре 2024


Шапки женские вязаные на Wildberries, 2024 — новый цвет от 392 руб. (модель 466)

Московская область - Изготовление металлических навесов

Два человека пострадали в ДТП в Новой Москве

Квиз ко дню основания Большого театра опубликовали на портале «Узнай Москву»


Скульптура Сергея Рахманинова украсит музыкальную школу в Кисловодске

Консультации, Составление Договоров, Присутствие Продюсера при заключении договоров и переговорах. Лекции. Переговоры. Встречи и Обсуждения.

Ансамбль из Лобни победил на Всероссийском конкурсе «Танец. Мысль. Время»

Николай Цискаридзе: «Балет не для всех является смыслом жизни, как для меня»


Медведев прошёл в третий круг турнира ATP в Майами

Александрова обыграла первую ракетку мира на турнире WTA

Битые корты: Медведев и Александрова вышли в четвертьфинал Miami Open

Хачанов победил Черундоло и пробился в 1/8 финала турнира ATP в Майами



Заказать недорогой ремонт кухонной мебели в районе в Москве и Московской области

Всем по местам: в России назвали топ благополучных регионов

Каждый пятый российский зумер планирует переехать из города-миллионника в Москву

В России назвали топ самых благополучных регионов по итогам 2023 года


Эксперты КА «Главный Советник» приняли участие в форуме «Тренды и антитренды корпоративного видео сегодня»

В хоккейном ЦСКА сменился главный тренер

Путин назвал культуру духовным каркасом народа в трагические для страны моменты

Удалось спасти: Москва не потеряла в больницах ни одного человека после теракта, сообщил Собянин


Ветеринар Земская: лишний вес может привести к проблемам с сердцем у питомца

Сотрудники СберСтрахования жизни приняли участие в донорстве крови

Шавло - о победе сборной России: «Результат крупный, но нельзя обольщаться»

VK может заняться производством игровых приставок и консолей



Путин в России и мире






Персональные новости Russian.city
Вольфганг Амадей Моцарт

Юные пианисты центра «Моцарт» завоевали множество наград городского конкурса инструментального искусства



News Every Day

Top 5 Websites to Watch FREE Movies - TV Shows (No Sign up!)




Friends of Today24

Музыкальные новости

Персональные новости