The sister of former Aston Villa and England U21 footballer JLloyd Samuel is mounting a fresh challenge against the police review investigating his death in a fiery car crash that occurred after he dropped his children at school.
Disputed Investigation Findings
Leslie-Ann Samuel remains steadfast in her conviction that her brother was not inside the £100,000 Range Rover that erupted into flames following a collision with a van in 2018. Her dissatisfaction with Cheshire Constabulary's original investigation prompted a review by their Professional Standards Department, but she has now expressed serious concerns about the draft findings of that review.
Ms Samuel has until November 29, 2025, to submit formal documents challenging the outcome, maintaining there are significant unanswered questions about the case that demand resolution.
Missing Witness Raises Questions
Central to her concerns is the absence of a crucial witness from the 2019 inquest. This individual reportedly smashed two windows of the vehicle, including the driver's side window, and stated they saw nobody inside the car before it exploded.
"This witness had previously stated that they smashed two windows, including the driver's side window, and explicitly mentioned that there seemed to be no one in the vehicle before the car exploded," Ms Samuel revealed in a social media post. "This raises significant questions about the investigation's integrity."
The 2019 inquest, presided over by Coroner Alan Moore, concluded that the remains found in the vehicle belonged to Samuel, identifying the former Premier League player through dental records rather than DNA evidence. The footballer, who was 37 at the time of his death, had enjoyed an impressive career spanning over 420 matches, including 240 Premier League appearances for clubs including Aston Villa and Bolton Wanderers.
Identification Process Under Scrutiny
Ms Samuel has described shocking revelations during the identification process at Warrington NHS hospital, stating "there was no dead body present" when the family visited. She has publicly declared that based on the available evidence, it appears her brother is "missing, not deceased."
Following the original inquest, Ms Samuel vowed to seek a court order for DNA testing after the coroner ruled he could not release tissue samples without permission from Samuel's next of kin - his wife Emma, who stipulated any testing must occur at a UK-registered laboratory.
Ms Samuel responded at the time: "I will seek that order, and thank you for telling me that, Mr Alan Moore. I hope they keep the DNA samples until such case."
Complex Personal Life Revealed
The case took another surprising turn when a Netflix documentary revealed Samuel had maintained a secret double life. The documentary exposed that the defender had married Iranian singer Helia Sahimi in 2013 - five years after marrying interior designer Emma Pritchard, the mother of his three children.
Ms Sahimi described Samuel as "the best husband I could have ever asked for," while Ms Pritchard recalled discovering the relationship weeks after his death, saying "I threw up everywhere" upon learning the truth.
Ms Samuel is being represented in her legal challenge by barrister Timothy Becker of ShenSmith Barristers as she continues her quest for answers about the circumstances surrounding her brother's presumed death. The draft outcome of Cheshire Police's review has not yet been published, leaving this extraordinary case unresolved.
