Family of ex-Premier League footballer think death was 'faked' in fireball car crash

Jlloyd Samuel died in a fireball crash but his family think his death was faked by his wife who wanted to cash out on an insurance fraud - which she vehemently denied

Posted Monday, December 26, 2022 by Dailystar.co.uk

The family of a former Premier League player who was killed in a fireball crash are convinced his death was faked.

Former Bolton and Aston Villa defender Jlloyd Samuel lost his life in 2018 when his Range Rover crashed into van in Cheshire whilst he was driving down a country lane. The impact of the crash caused the £100,000 motor to burst into flames, and Samuel's body was burnt beyond recognition.

Tributes poured in for the former England U21 star, and his old club Villa wore black armbands to honour him in their Championship play-off tie against Middlesbrough. But in a shocking turn of events, his family insisted that Samuel's death was faked by his wife so she could cash out on an elaborate insurance fraud plot.

Samuel married his wife Emma in 2018, and the pair had three children together. However, his sister Leslie-Ann purported that Samuel wasn't behind the wheel of his car, and was infact still alive.

Leslie-Ann produced a picture of a letter from the coroner’s office that stated her brother's remains were identified by dental records and radiographs carried out at Warrington hospital on May 17, 2018. But Leslie-Ann and her parents complained that they were prevented from conducting their own DNA tests from the car by police and the coroner.

Samuel's sibling then took to social media to vent her fury, where she posted the letter, and a string of stunning outbursts. In one post, she raged: "Jlloyd we WILL see you soon, in this life.”

She followed this up by writing: "Jlloyd brother we know you are ALIVE and well and we know the DNA the pathologist have is not your DNA .. 100%... Lies…”

But Leslie-Ann wasn't done yet and she also made a complaint into Cheshire Police's handling of the matter. But her complaint was shut down by senior officers who ruled that "the investigation into Mr Samuel’s death was proportionate, timely and of the standard required."

A statement from the Cheshire Police revealed that "The decision was verified in a peer review by an independent police force."

And the spokesman for the force explained that Leslie-Ann never appealed the ruling in the 28-day period given to do so.

Samuel's wife also dismissed Leslie-Ann's allegations as "fake news" in a statement. She said: "I do not wish to make any comment at this time. My only concern right now is getting through next week’s inquest and protecting my three beautiful children who have had to not only deal with the tragic loss of their father but also witness relentless fake news, threats and personal attacks on social media.

"I will make a short statement at the conclusion of the inquest and would ask for our privacy to be respected until then.”

Leslie-Ann's crusade suffered another blow when a coroner at the inquest held looking into Samuel's death ruled that the body found irrefutably belonged to the ex-Prem ace. But Leslie-Ann still wasn't satisfied with the ruling and pleaded with Coroner Alan Moore to release DNA so she and her family could test it privately.

Mr Moore denied her request as he could only release tissue from Samuel if his wife gave the go ahead. However, the coroner did advise Leslie-Ann that she could appeal the decision at another court - which she vowed to do.

And years after Leslie-Anne's failed attempt to prove Emma had faked Samuel's death, the footballer's interior designer wife has finally opened up about her ordeal. In an ITV documentary, she said: "Leslie-Ann approached me and said, 'I know you've got something to do with this and I'm going to get to the bottom of it'.

"And that's when the accusations all started being published on Instagram - 'it's a fake death and I've got something to do with it'; 'he's still alive and I've got something to do with his disappearance'.

"I'm having all these accusations thrown at me. I'm still having to sort through all the paperwork; bills - how I'm going to pay for everything? I've had investors knocking on my door wanting money, wanting to know where their money has gone. And I felt so much pressure."

However, a third party believes Leslie Anne's theory that Samuel is still alive - his second secret wife Helia Sahimi, based in Iran. She met Samuel during his eight-year spell in the Middle East during the latter stages of his career and they got hitched in 2011, three months after he moved there, according to Helia.

When she was contacted for the documentary about his death, Helia said: "I believe my husband is still alive."

However, his first wife Emma was dumbfounded when it was revealed that Samuel had another partner, and she said: "I was trying to grieve my husband and find he has another life. Who is my husband - do I really know him?"