'Nothing can be as bad as losing my son'

Melanie Tait, whose son was fatally attacked in 2020, tells new that despite her terminal cancer diagnosis, she believes good always  comes out of bad – and is raising money for charity to prove it

- SHERON BOYLE

The devoted mother of footballer Jordan Sinnott, who was tragically killed in 2020, has revealed she has terminal cancer.

Last December, Melanie Tait, just 54, was told she had “days, maybe a week” to live by a medic. In her darkest moment, the ex-detective silently spoke to her late son: “Jord, help me have more time, I need to get your brother Tom in a better place.”

Miraculously, Melanie rallied from her near-death experience and today explains that even after his death, Jordan is always near her – sending her a message, urging her to go to hospital when she first noticed something was wrong.

“Family is simply everything to me. I don’t want to leave them, obviously, but I have some peace knowing I will be with Jordan again.”

Her semi-professional footballer son was just 25 when he was attacked after a misunderstanding about a joke in a pub in Retford, Nottinghamshire in January 2020.

Drunk Kai Denovan, 23, told him he was a “good-looking lad” who would have “no trouble pulling girls”, unlike himself who was “fat and ginger”.

Believing he was joining in the banter, Jordan said, “Yes, I can see that.”

Denovan and his accomplice Cameron Matthews, 22, repeatedly punched Jordan, who fell to the ground and fractured his skull. He died hours later in hospital.

Denovan and Matthews were both convicted of manslaughter – Denovan was jailed for 11 years and Matthews, who delivered the fatal blow, got eight years, following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court.