Mother of man who died in Ilkeston incident pays tribute to son

The mother of a man who died following an incident in Ilkeston on Sunday has told of her family’s devastation.

Byron Griffin was found injured in Eyre’s Garden, Ilkeston, at around 12.40pm on Sunday 4 July.

The 22-year-old, from East Leake, Loughborough, was taken to the Queen’s Medical Centre where he died.

Mr Griffin’s mother, Zoe Cooke, said: “Byron’s death has absolutely devastated my family. He is my only son and leaves behind three sisters aged 10, 11 and 27 who will never, ever get over this. 

“Byron was loved by so many – to the point that one of his old teachers came to see me to pay his condolences despite him leaving school years ago.

“Byron was my absolute heartbeat and our lives will never be the same again - the pain is absolutely unbearable. We are all devastated beyond belief and I wouldn’t wish this on any parent.

“My boy will never hold or kiss me again and I will never come to terms with that.”

Mr Griffin’s family are being supported by specialist officers and our thoughts are with them at this most difficult of times.

It is believed Mr Griffin was injured during a disturbance in Great Northern Close and officers are keen to hear from anyone who may have information that can help the investigation.

Of particular interest are any witnesses who may have seen a disturbance in the area around Great Northern Close at around 12.30pm – especially any homeowners with CCTV or drivers with dashcam footage who may have been in the area at the time.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Derbyshire police using any of the below methods, including reference 21*372467:

• Facebook– send us a private message to /DerbyshireConstabulary
• Twitter– direct message our contact centre on @DerPolContact
• Website– complete the online contact form: https://www.derbyshire.police.uk/contact/af/contactus.
• Phone – call us on 101.

You can also anonymously contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111 or by visiting www.crimestoppers-uk.org.