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Barney’s children, Bethany, 2, and Bailey, 4, with their mother Kelly Ivory and her parents Barry and Julie. |
Barney was such a special, kind father
Girlfriend opens her heart and vows children will not forget tragic young dad
LITTLE Bailey Kennedy points to the heavens when asked where his father is and explains that he is doing a scaffolding job in the sky.
The four year-old greets everyone with an infectious smile which belies a complicated heart condition that sporadically sends his pulse racing. He lost the father he idolised four weeks ago.
In his face you can see the image of Ralph Kennedy, the contractor electrocuted while working on the refurbishment of the Mayford estate in Somers Town.
Better known by the boyhood nickname ‘Barney’, Mr Kennedy, 24, touched a live light fitting and died on a scaffold.
Investigations by the Health and Safety Executive and the police are ongoing.
Giving their first interview since the tragedy, his girlfriend – the mother of his two children – and her family explained on Friday that they were slowly coming to terms with what has happened.
They said it was time to thank the friends, neighbours and New Journal readers who have offered their support and condolences. A book of messages about Mr Kennedy has been collected and will be given to Bailey and his sister Bethany, 2, when they are older.
Kelly Ivory, 24, said: “Everybody has been amazing, so kind. We have had people coming to the door all of the time. We want to thank them.”
Mr Kennedy had planned to give Bailey a puppy for his birthday at the end of last month.
The pup – called Stella – was donated for free when the pet shop owner discovered what happened.
Ms Ivory said: “I will make sure the kids will never forget who their dad was. He was so special.”
The couple were in love and had dreamed of a white wedding in the future. She now can’t face returning to their council flat in Royal College Street, Camden Town, and Ms Ivory and the children have moved into her parents home in nearby St Pancras Way. She is hoping Camden Council will grant her a transfer to a new flat.
When Ms Ivory did go back to the home they shared, a contractor working on the flat warned her that if somebody cut the electric cable outside, the flat would explode. It was the last thing she needed to hear.
Ms Ivory said: “Me and Barney spent every day together. We talked all the time. He was a great dad. Bailey still talks about him all the time, every night. He wants to talk about him.”
Bailey was born with a condition that medics feared could cause a heart attack, simple colds can turn to infection. He also suffers from asthma.
Barry Ivory, Kelly’s father, said: “I thought I had been a good father but I honestly wasn’t a patch on Barney.
“He lived for his kids. If you saw a photograph of Barney, you’d see a picture of his kids. He was with them all the time. He knew Bailey’s birthday was coming up, so he was doing extra work to earn some money to get something nice for his birthday.
“He was excited and telling the guys on the site that he was getting Bailey the dog. He was due to pick him up on the Sunday – but he died on the Friday.”
Early on in their relationship, Mr Kennedy had an argument with Ms Ivory and she was thinking about giving up on their romance.
Mr Ivory said: “When we first met Barney, he was a bit wild. Kelly came to me one time and said ‘I think he’s wild, I think I’m finishing with him’. I said to her, with a bit of training, he could be great for you.
“And when he had his kids it changed him. Barney would turn his hand to anything to make some money for his kids and for Kelly. Anything we wanted doing, he would do it.”
One shopkeeper once joked that Bailey couldn’t walk – so often had he seen him carried on Mr Kennedy’s shoulders. Mr Ivory said: “Bethany doesn’t quite understand what has happened. Bailey knows. He was very angry at first and was lashing out.
“He said that Daddy was silly for touching the light. He doesn’t mean that Barney was silly. It’s just the way he expresses himself. He knows that Barney can still see him and see him if he is doing anything wrong.
“He knows that God has called Barney to do a job in heaven.”
Mr Ivory said his family were waiting to see the results of the HSE’s probe.
He added: “We understand they have to investigate. The police have told us that they are almost ready to pull out, they are happy that nothing was done deliberately.
“It could have been prevented. I wouldn’t want to see somebody go to prison for this. One family has already lost someone, we don’t want another family to lose someone. But if somebody has been careless, they should know that what they have done has caused this, caused somebody to die.”
A colleague who was with Barney on the day he died has since left the site suffering with stress.
Mr Ivory said: “It happened at a time when Barney was happy. He liked the people he was working with and was excited for Bailey’s birthday.
“It is a tragedy.”
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