Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Agony of teenager as dad dies a year after she lost mum
Exclusive
A talented teenager has tragically been orphaned after her devoted father died in a car crash just a year after her mother passed away.
Lee Boulter was killed when his Audi TT crashed on the A291 Canterbury Road between the city and Herne Bay on February 23.
The 45-year-old furniture salesman lived in the town with his 13-year-old daughter Layla, who is an accomplished singer.
Lee’s father Colin says the youngster is staying remarkably strong.
“We were sitting in Lee’s flat waiting for him after picking her up from school,” he said.
“We were messing about looking at stuff on the TV. We didn’t even know he had died.
“She’s an orphan now because her mother, who was separated from Lee, died from cancer just over a year ago.”
Layla will live with close family friends in the area and continue to see her grandparents regularly.
Retiree Colin, 73, says his son was a devoted father who was coping well with being a single parent of a teenager daughter.
“He was amazing. It was a real achievement,” he said.
“He was just a man looking after his daughter and making sure she was OK.
“He was outgoing, he was an achiever – he was willing to try anything.
“He was a great salesman. He had a lot of friends and he tended to be a leader.”
Lee, of Dolphin Street, Herne Bay, started his career working for his father in his fitted kitchen studio in Lewisham before landing a job at the Cheltenham and Gloucester bank.
Within two years he was made manager and he later became an independent mortgage broker.
At the time of his death, he was a furniture salesman for Harveys.
Colin says his son was also a good singer and would often join his daughter and father in the recording studio.
In 2013, singer songwriter Colin performed at the Christmas lights switch-on alongside Layla as musical duo The Boulters,
“We’re a very musical family,” said Colin, who has performed in bands all his life.
“I wrote a Christmas song with Layla a few years ago and we sang it at the Christmas lights switch-on.
“Six months ago we recorded a track in Tunbridge Wells with Lee called Come to Me. It’s a real tearjerker.
“We all sang the vocals but I asked the studio to lower the volume of my voice and raise Lee’s so he is actually singing lead vocals with Layla.
“We’re going to play it at his funeral.”
Colin, of Reculver Road, Beltinge, says the family is very close and despite being separated from Lee’s mum, Rita Noury-leFaucheur, they have remained friends and have been helping each other through the trauma of the past few weeks.
“Scott, Lee’s younger brother comes over a lot, and Rita too,” he said.
“We’re all there for each other. I was very close to Lee. We saw each other all the time and probably spoke on the phone about 50 times a week.”
Lee died from head injuries in the crash, which happened on the A291.
In 2015, the stretch was rated among the most dangerous roads in Britain by the Road Safety Foundation, following 19 serious or fatal crashed in seven years.
“No one knows what happened,” said Colin. “Lee was a very good driver.”
Anyone who witnessed the crash or the Audi in the moments before should call the police’s serious collision investigation unit on 01622 798538, or email sciu.td@kent.pnn.police.uk, quoting reference MC/DH/032/17.
Lee’s funeral will be held at Thanet Crematorium on Friday, March 24 at 1.45pm.
Flowers are requested through Beltinge and District Funeral Services, Reculver Road, Herne Bay: 01227 363300.