Teen mum-to-be finds partner hanged...Are Teenage Mums Blamed For Violence?

Jan 9 2008 by Ben Glaze, South Wales Echo

A TEENAGE dad-to-be has been found hanged just three months before the birth of his baby daughter.

The body of 17-year-old Paul Briggs, known as “Briggsy”, was discovered by his pregnant girlfriend Kyra Applin in her bedroom.

Kyra, 15, who is due to give birth in April, said today: “He was so happy looking at the scan picture, he couldn’t wait for our baby to be born.”

Police are not treating Paul’s death at Kyra’s home in Ferndale, Rhondda, in the early hours of Sunday morning as suspicious.

Today, she spoke of the young couple’s joy when they learned she was pregnant in July, three months after they began seeing each other.

Kyra said: “We were both really looking forward to it. We found out on December 19 that I was having a girl when I had a scan at Llwynypia Hospital.

“We held hands, we were both really excited. We even talked about names. I liked Michaela but Briggsy wanted Mia, so now I’m going to call her Mia.”

Doctors have given Kyra, who goes to a school for expectant mothers in Rhydyfelin, Pontypridd, two possible due dates, one of which is April 17 – the day before Paul would have turned 18.

“I’m hoping she comes on Paul’s birthday, that would be nice,” said Kyra.

Paul, a Liverpool FC fan, lived with his grandparents Tom and Patricia Jones in Ynyshir, Rhondda, while his mum Angela El-Masri lives on Anglesey.

Angela, who has two other sons, Karl, 24, and Pip, 14, said Paul was a loving, affectionate son who was excited about the pregnancy.

“He said to me, ‘I can’t wait mam, I could see the baby’s heart beating on the monitor’,” she told the Echo.

“Paul was a mammy’s boy who would tell me he loved me in a room full of people. The last words he said to me were, ‘Mam, I love you’.”

Angela, 45, learned of her middle son’s death in a harrowing phone call on Sunday.

She said: “I couldn’t stop screaming, it was as if Hiroshima had happened in my heart or somebody had stuck a dagger in my chest.

“I couldn’t take in what I was hearing, I was on my knees rocking back and forth. I was inconsolable.”

Angela believes Paul hanged himself accidentally and never meant to kill himself. She added: “He had everything to live for. Can you count how many stars there are in the sky? That’s how much I’m going to miss him.”

Paul’s best friend Nathan Applin, 17, said: “He was lovely, one of the nicest boys you could meet and he had a heart of gold.

“We used to play football together, just chilling out. He wouldn’t have done this on purpose, it was an accident. He was so chuffed about the baby, he was bouncing everyday and he loves his girl to bits.”

Paul’s grandfather Tom, 78, said his grandson’s death and had affected so many people and left a community in mourning.

“He was so full of life and would do anything for anybody. My wife and I brought him up as our own. He was a lovely boy,” he said.

A post-mortem examination was yesterday carried out at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, Llantrisant.

Paul’s funeral will be held on Tuesday at 12.15pm at Bethany Chapel, Ynyshir.