Mum of footballer who was killed on night out dies after cancer battle

The mum of a footballer killed on a night out has died from cancer just a few years after her son’s death.

Jordan Sinnott died in January 2020 at the age of 25 after he was attacked by three men while on a night out in Retford, Nottinghamshire.

Just a week after Jordan’s funeral, his partner Kelly Bossons found out she was 12 weeks pregnant with their daughter Maisie.

Now the family are grieving again as Jordan’s mum Melanie Tait has died at the age of 54 from cancer.

Melanie spent the last years of her life setting up a charity, the Jordan Sinnott Foundation Trust, in honour of her son.

She also did a sponsored skydive in his memory earlier this year.

In a Facebook post yesterday, the trust said: ‘It’s with the heaviest of hearts we would like to share the devastating news that yesterday after a long fight with cancer, our beautiful Melanie has gained her wings.

‘We are utterly heartbroken. Give Jord a big cuddle from us Mel, we love you both unconditionally.’

Kai Denovan, then 23, and Cameron Matthews, then 21, were jailed for 11 years, and eight years and three months respectively after they were convicted of manslaughter at Nottingham Crown Court on July 31, 2020, following Jordan’s killing.

On the night of his death, Jordan and Kelly were out with their friends to celebrate their engagement.

Jordan had proposed to Kelly at Christmas just four weeks previously and the couple had wanted to mark the occasion by going on a night out with friends in the market town.

One of the last things Jordan ever did with Kelly was to perform one of his favourite songs – Sweet Caroline – on the karaoke.

Kelly then went home at about midnight, and Jordan stayed out with friends to go to some nearby pubs.

Denovan and Matthews were caught on CCTV following the group of friends into The Vine pub in Retford at around 1.40am.

Prosecutors described them as ‘pack hunting down and exacting retribution’.

Denovan then said to Jordan that he was a ‘good-looking lad’ who would have no problems ‘pulling girls’ which, he said, was unlike him. He then called himself ‘fat and ginger’.

The court heard Denovan’s comments were a ‘deliberate honey trap’ to try to spark a fight.

Believing he was getting involved in jovial banter, Jordan then replied: ‘Yes I can see that.’

Denovan then ‘flew immediately into a rage’ and punched Jordan twice in the face before he and his friends managed to get out of the pub and away from the violence.

But Denovan and Matthews followed the friends to a nearby takeaway and continued attacking them.

Denovan then punched Jordan another time before Matthews stepped in, hitting the footballer ‘two or three times’ which caused him to fall backwards and hit his head on the pavement.

Jordan was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead at 6pm on Saturday 25 January 2020. His family were all around him.

When they paid tribute at the time, Jordan’s parents, Mel and former Bradford City footballer Lee Sinnott said: ‘We’ve lost a son, a brother, a fiancé, a grandson, uncle, nephew, cousin, a true friend to so many.

‘But more heartbreaking than anything, a father to his unborn child. 

‘And what a great daddy he would have been.’

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