Shock at Jamaica death of Ludlow dad Gary Bamford
A Shropshire father, his 17-year daughter and his ex-partner have died after the minibus they were travelling in collided head-on with a pick-up truck in Jamaica. A Shropshire father, his 17-year daughter and his ex-partner have died after the minibus they were travelling in collided head-on with a pick-up truck in Jamaica. Gary Bamford, from the Ludlow area, was involved in the head-on crash in the Trelawny area of the Caribbean island near Montego Bay in the early hours of Sunday. He died along with his ex-partner Kathleen Rawlinson, of Windermere in Cumbria, and his 17-year-old daughter Caisie Muller, from Brighton. His 15-year-old son, Owen, suffered minor injuries while family friend Talei Jones, from Canada, was also killed. Miss Rawlinson's 25-year-old daughter Josie, also from Windermere, was seriously hurt in the crash and remains in a serious but stable condition. Her partner, a 22-year-old man from Windermere, also suffered minor injuries. Reports from the Caribbean have claimed Mr Bamford was driving the minibus at the time.[24link]
A Shropshire father, his 17-year daughter and his ex-partner have died after the minibus they were travelling in collided head-on with a pick-up truck in Jamaica.
Gary Bamford, from the Ludlow area, was involved in the head-on crash in the Trelawny area of the Caribbean island near Montego Bay in the early hours of Sunday.
He died along with his ex-partner Kathleen Rawlinson, of Windermere in Cumbria, and his 17-year-old daughter Caisie Muller, from Brighton.
His 15-year-old son, Owen, suffered minor injuries while family friend Talei Jones, from Canada, was also killed.
Miss Rawlinson's 25-year-old daughter Josie, also from Windermere, was seriously hurt in the crash and remains in a serious but stable condition. Her partner, a 22-year-old man from Windermere, also suffered minor injuries.
Reports from the Caribbean have claimed Mr Bamford was driving the minibus at the time.
The 49-year-old was a singer in drum and bass band Deadsilence Syndicate, which in the past has performed at Glastonbury, while he also toured the country with Wreck'n'Roll Circus, which promoted a number of bands.
He is believed to have moved to Ludlow in the past three years and is understood to have hailed from the Cwmbran area of south Wales.
Devastated friends today paid tribute to Mr Bamford.
Alex Weller, 25, from Ludlow, said she had known Mr Bamford for the past two years after they met at the town's Charlton Arms.
She said: "I found out about the accident on Facebook on Monday and I was devastated. I am gutted. I spent most of Monday crying about it and I just couldn't believe it.
"We were really close and I was so shocked. Gary always kept himself to himself but he would often come into the pub with his dog Scrappy and sometimes his son Owen and I always thought he had a cheeky smile about him."
In a statement issued through Cumbria Police, a family member said: "We are deeply saddened by the loss of our family. They will be greatly missed. Please respect our wishes at this time to be left alone to come to terms with our grief."
By Peter Kitchen and Danny Carden
