Kentish Express Ashford & District
Bereaved father’s charity plea on birthday of twins
Heartbroken dad, 36, shares sombre post
A dad whose twins were killed by their mum has asked for help in doing “something of significance” to help other families on what would have been his babies’ third birthday.
Steven Ford’s estranged wife Samantha was sentenced to 10 years in jail after admitting the manslaughter of 23-month-old Jake and Chloe on Boxing Day in 2018.
The 38-year-old had drowned them in the bath of her Margate home after becoming mentally unwell following the break-up of her marriage.
She then tried to take her own life by driving her car into a lorry on the Thanet Way.
On Saturday January 25, in a sombre post on Facebook, Mr Ford - who lives in Charing marked the twins’ birthday by asking for donations to Smile for Joel, a charity which helps the loved ones of victims and who had offered him support after in earlier stages of his grief.
Mr Ford said: “Smile For Joel is a charity that reached out to the homicide victim support team that took care of me last year and offered their charity services to me with a lovely gesture.
“As a way of remembering my children and to mark their third birthday with something of significance, I kindly ask you all to make a small donation to the Smile For Joel charity.
“They’re a wonderful charity that support the families of victims of terrorism and have done some wonderful work over the last few years.”
In another heartrending post on Twitter, he said: “To exist in this life without you both here, is the burden I’ll carry for the rest of my life.
“Three years ago today was the happiest day of my life. “I will remember that day. “Happy birthday Chloe and Jake.
“My beautiful twins.” Saturday January 25 was the second birthday he has had to endure without them.
Last year, Ford escaped a double murder conviction after her guilty pleas to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility were accepted.
She was jailed for 10 years, but is in a psychiatric hospital until she is deemed fit enough to be moved to a prison.
Steven, who is in the process of divorcing Ford after being married for 10 years, says he feels like she has got away with murder.
The 36-year-old says he now aims to push for a change in the law.