The 20-year-old footballer took his own life after discovering that his late mother was the victim of David Fuller

A young builder took his own life after his mental health “deteriorated” due to a series of family tragedies, including his mother being the victim of David Fuller and his grandmother being killed by her lover.

Jay Carr, 20, was suffering from mental health problems when police told him that his mother had been abused by the necrophile after her death in 2015.

His sister Ashlee, speaking outside County Hall today following the inquest, revealed their family had been shaken by a series of tragic events, including the death of his mother and the murder of his grandmother by her partner.

Jay was 13 when his teacher mother Jordana Carr hanged herself while talking to her ex-boyfriend on FaceTime. Jordana had a history of mental health problems after her mother, Maria Colaco, was killed by her lover on New Year’s Eve in 2009.

According to Ashlee, Jay took their deaths “extremely badly.” His mental health “deteriorated” and Jay “became obsessed with David Fuller and what he had done to our mother’s body.”

Fuller was sentenced to two life terms in December 2021 for the 1987 murder of Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

He also received concurrent sentences of 12 years for sex crimes against 78 dead women in mortuaries at Tunbridge Wells Hospital and at the former Kent and Sussex Hospital between 2008 and 2020.

Jay’s family believes that he should not have been told that his mother was Fuller’s victim, given his existing mental health issues.

His body was discovered by police on September 20 in a wooded area near his home in Snodland, Kent, after he had gone missing the previous day.

At an inquest at Maidstone’s County Hall today, a coroner was told the 20-year-old was upset by news of his mother’s fate.

Ashlee said, “Our family has been through countless tragedies over the years. Our mother Jordana Carr passed away in 2015. She was way too young and left a gaping hole in our family.

“My brother Jay was only 13 when our mother died. He took it extremely badly and struggled with serious mental health issues for several years.

“When he grew up, things got much better for him. He had a steady job as a car attendant, had a loving girlfriend, Millie, and was close to his football team.

“In October 2021 my father and I were told out of the blue that my mother’s body had been abused by David Fuller while he was in the care of Pembury Hospital.

“We felt pressured by the police officers who notified us to tell Jay and his siblings. Despite telling the officers about Jay’s vulnerability, they insisted that he be told, which he was later that night, in graphic detail.”

Over the next few months, Jay’s mental health deteriorated. He became obsessed with David Fuller and what he had done with our mother’s body. On September 17, 2022, Jay went missing.

Family, friends and police conducted a search and Jay was found dead on September 20 after committing suicide.

“If we can get anything out of this, we hope there will be some reflection on how the police inform families of tragic cases in the future.”

Jordana’s mother Miss Colaco had been killed on New Year’s Day 2010 in a brutal attack at her home when she was only 50 years old.

Her partner Andrew Gaffney was sentenced to life in June 2010 and the court heard how his nauseating attack on Miss Colaco left her with injuries similar to those suffered by a car accident victim.

It is clear that both deaths caused immense pain for the family.

Coroner James Dillon recorded a conclusion of suicide after Jay’s death.

After the hearing, Ashlee went on to say how much Jay was loved by those who knew him, adding, “He was a great family man and his cousins ​​really looked up to him.

“Jay had an exceptional entrepreneurial spirit and drive, he was a keen athlete and his loss leaves many with a heavy heart.”

Shahram Sharghy, a lawyer representing his family, said a note from Jay referred to her death.

He told the court: “Jay took the death of his mother and the circumstances of her death extremely hard.

“The information provided clearly had a significant impact that spiraled over the ensuing months, leading to him committing suicide.

“The family will not accept that it was their suggestion to tell Jay and other family members the information.”

However, DS Jon Wheeler, one of the Kent police family liaison officers who broke the news, said Jay’s father Danny agreed that his son should be made aware of Fuller’s abuse.

Through their attorneys, the family urged the coroner to reach a narrative conclusion.

But the coroner said the impact of the news Jay received in 2021 played a role in his death.

Coroner James Dillon said, “The conclusion of suicide is the only correct conclusion I can draw.

Jay Carr took his own life by hanging at Holly Hill Wood and was found dead on September 20, 2022.

His mental health had deteriorated since October after learning facts about his late mother. It is a conclusion of suicide.’

After Jay’s death, flowers and a bottle of beer were placed near the woods where his body was found.

The car mechanic and builder was described by friends as a ‘ray of sunshine’, while Aylesford Football Club teammates also paid tribute to the much-loved player, describing him as a ‘special person’ on and off the pitch.

A school friend of Jay’s said: ‘Jay loved to laugh with his friends in the pub.

“I never knocked him down, he always had a smile on his face. He was a ray of sunshine.’

A charity football game is played in memory of Jay. Ide Hill Select XV will play Jay Carr Select XV at Snodland Town Football Club on July 23 to raise money for West Kent Mind.

Police discovered that Fuller sexually assaulted the dead bodies of at least 102 women and children while working as an electrician at a hospital.

But the now 68-year-old’s shocking crimes came to light after he was linked to one of Britain’s longest unsolved double murders more than 30 years ago.

In December 2021, he received a life sentence after admitting to killing 25-year-old Wendy Knell and 20-year-old waitress Caroline Pierce.

During the police investigation, Fuller was linked to the 30-year cold cases through a DNA breakthrough that then led police to his stash of sickening recordings of himself abusing corpses.

Between 2008 and 2020, Fuller sexually assaulted more than 100 female bodies aged nine to 100 in hospital morgues controlled by the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.

An independent investigation is currently investigating how Fuller was able to carry out his crimes undetected.

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