KILLED AT THE TAKEAWAY

Tammy Young, 49, wants the world to see her partner's terrifying last moments

- CANDICE FERNANDEZ, LOUISE BATY

The smell of fried chicken was overwhelming as I walked into the kitchen.

'Fancy some KFC?' my partner Kelvin smiled, as he and our son Brandon*, then 19, demolished a bucket. It was March 2023 and Brandon was working with his dad in construction, and after work they'd usually head to the gym, then enjoy a bucket of chicken together.

I had to laugh at their funny ways, but I loved seeing them bonding. Kelvin was an incredible dad to Brandon, our daughter Nicki*, then 24, and my daughter Ariana*, 28, from a past relationship. Together for decades, Kelvin and I had never got around to marrying, but there was no denying he was my soulmate. Tall, dark and handsome with natural charisma and a brilliant sense of humour, everyone adored him, but his proudest role was being a dad.

Now that he was working with Brandon, I couldn't be happier. Except that recently, Brandon had been caught up in trouble with some local youths. He had fallen out with an old friend, who was now part of a gang. I hoped that working with his dad would be a good distraction for him.

But by April, the gang had begun targeting our home. They set fire to our cars, smashed windows, even wielded machetes and shot at the house.

FEELINGS OF PANIC

It was utterly terrifying and we reported every incident to the police, praying that it would be over soon, but we were forced to move into temporary accommodation. 'Everything will be OK,' Kelvin reassured me.

Then days after moving, on 18 April, Kelvin phoned me on my way home from my job as an NHS support worker.

'We're just grabbing KFC, then we'll be home,' he said.

But a while later, Nicki rang me in tears. A friend of hers had just called to tell her something bad had happened to Kelvin and Brandon. 'Dad's on the road receiving CPR,' Nicki sobbed.