Royce was killed while working abroad (Picture: Kennedy News and Media)
The mum of a British man stabbed to death after moving to Australia is trying to raise the £20,000 needed to bring him home.
Royce Mallett was killed in a motel car park in Albury, New South Wales, on July 8th, shortly after moving to Australia on a six-month work permit to provide for his partner and two children.
Now his family, including partner Caitlin O’Keefe, is desperately trying to raise funds to bring his body back to the UK.
His parents Felicity and Roy Mallett are pensioners and say they can’t afford to foot the bill alone.
The couple say they’re unable to begin grieving as they’ve not been able to see the 30-year-old and desperately need closure.
They’re also trying to comfort their five-year-old granddaughter Rose who tragically asks ‘why hasn’t Daddy called? Isn’t he talking to me?’.
His mum, Felicity, is fighting to get his body home (Picture: Kennedy News)
His partner, Caitlin, is now a single mother (Picture: SWNS)
Mum Felicity, 68, said that if they’re unable to raise the cash to repatriate Royce, who had been working tarmacking roads, he’ll have to be cremated before they’re able to ship him home.
Felicity, from Haswell Village, County Durham, said: ‘It’s very sad [Jay Slater’s mum] has lost her son, I don’t know why she wants more than £72,000 and all we’ve got is £8,000.
‘It’s just not going up at all, it’s totally ridiculous. I don’t know where we’re going to get all the money from.
‘It’s been two-and-a-half weeks since he was killed and we’ve just got no idea when he’s going to be back.
‘We’ve got no idea what it’s going to cost to get him back from there. We haven’t even got a date when he’s going to be put onto a plane yet.
‘Everybody’s fundraising around here. I’ve done a bit personally on Facebook which I haven’t had much take up on yet but it’s nowhere even near £1,000.’
Royce was murdered while working abroad (PIcture: SWNS)
‘All I need is a date when he’s going to be put on a plane and brought back to the UK because as far as I’m concerned, me and my husband haven’t grieved yet because we can’t see him.’
The couple, who last saw Royce on March 6th when he came home for Rose’s fifth birthday, are unable to make any funeral arrangements as he’s yet to come home.
Felicity said: ‘He left two lovely children behind. The oldest, she keeps asking why her daddy hasn’t called. His two-year-old will hardly ever know him.
‘It’ll be three weeks this Friday since his body was released by the coroner and we’ve heard nothing at all. We need closure.’
A 28-year-old man has appeared in court charged with Mr Mallet’s murder and has been remanded in custody
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