Kate Garraway pulls out tissues as she fights back tears in emotional chat – asking grieving parents ‘how do you cope?’
KATE Garraway pulled out the tissues as she fought back tears during a hugely emotional interview on Good Morning Britain.
During Friday’s episode, the clearly-touched ITV anchor, 57, put her personal grief following the death of her husband Derek Draper to one side.
Kate was chatting to the parents of murdered 19-year-old Leah Croucher, John and Claire – and finished the heart-wrenching chat by asking if she could “give them a hug”.
An inquest confirmed Leah had been killed by sex offender Neil Maxwell – who himself was found dead in a bike shed in 2019.
Yet it has taken police four years after her disappearance to come to a conclusion on her death, with the coroner’s court only holding their session in June.
Milton Keynes-based Leah told her family she was going to work on February 15, 2019 – but was never seen again.
Her disappearance and tragic passing prompted her brother Haydon Croucher, 24, to end his life after being “tortured” by not knowing what happened to his sister.
He was found hanged at his flat in November 2019 by his mum Tracey Furness – the day before the nine-month anniversary of Leah’s disappearance.
On Friday’s Good Morning Britain, Leah’s parents addressed their double grief – as well as calling for the prison service to be reformed.
In the chat with Kate and co-host Adil Ray, 50, they told how police blunders prolonged their wait to find their missing daughter as probation services did not have the dangerous killer on their radar.
Claire opened the interview and said: “We put grief on hold for a little while because we had so much to do in the meantime.
“We are still grieving every day. We still miss her.
“We are very frustrated by the entire system.
“Getting to the inquest process took an year and a half and it felt like an extremely long time.”
As Kate, a mum-of-two herself, struggled to fight her emotion, talk turned to Haydon’s tragic suicide.
Kate, who said her final farewell to late spouse Derek at his funeral in February, said: “It’s hard to fathom how you both are managing with this grief.
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“Is there a way you remember Leah or you think about Haydon that helps you?
“I’m sure your campaign for justice does …” before she broke off as she saw Claire wiping away tears.
Kate said: “Oh goodness me,” before she pulled out the tissues and added: “We are all in … I feel like that myself.
“How do you deal with it?”
Claire told how the pair take “each day one by one” yet understandably admitted how dates such as birthdays and anniversaries hit hard.
As the chat wrapped, Kate asked the Milton Keynes parents: “Can I give you a hug?
“It wont help you at all …” to which Adil interjected: “It will.”
Kate continued: “But everybody at home will be wanting us to do this, so let me give you a hug
“Oh goodness me you’re amazing, well done John.”
POLICE FAILINGS
Neil Maxwell was assessed as medium risk after convicted of sexual assault in February 2018, but it has since been decided he should have been categorised as high risk.
At the time of Leah’s killing, the suspect was wanted for a sex attack in Newport Pagnell and used false names to evade arrest.
A month before the horror, an officer raised concerns about Maxwell’s lack of communication.
Senior Coroner Tom Osborne said the failings may have played a part in Leah’s death as he confirmed he would be writing a preventing future deaths report.
n a statement after the inquest, Leah’s dad John said: “The current system is not equipped to properly manage these offenders and we fear that until these failings are properly addressed, another family will have to face the same awful consequences we will never recover from.”
KATE’S OWN BATTLE
Back in May, Kate opened up on her own grief as she admitted she was “struggling to keep her head above water” after her husband’s passing.
She had previously told of her heartbreak at her first birthday since spouse Derek’s passion.
Former political lobbyist Derek Draper, tragically died aged 56 in January, following four years of health struggles.
Dad of two Derek was left fighting for his life in hospital after suffering a heart attack over the festive period but was already one of the UK’s longest-suffering Covid patients, after being diagnosed in March 2020.
She paid a touching tribute to her late spouse at his funeral in February and, just days later, made her “brave” GMB return.