Mum Haunted After Tractor Death, Birth of Son Brings Painful Reminders

Leah Bridge had her second son, Ebon, in July 2023. It was a home birth, but it was also hard for her. She felt fear instead of joy and worried Ebon would remind her of her late son, Albie. Albie Speakman’s death still hurts those who loved him as they try to rebuild their lives after the tragic loss.

Neil Speakman was cleared of manslaughter after he hit Albie with a farm machine in Tottington on July 16, 2022. Albie suffered very bad injuries when his father had reversed a telehandler into him. Neil was 39.

Leah shared her sorrow in an interview, saying she feels stuck in the past, reliving that day. “It feels like it happened yesterday,” she said, explaining felt like time stopped for her. She said she cannot move forward in her mind.

Leah wonders what Albie might have seen and if he might have been scared. She did not see what happened to him, and revealed she struggled to look at Ebon, fearing he would look like Albie. She felt scared to hold him for long at first.

Ebon’s middle name is Albie, honoring his brother’s memory. Leah could not tidy Albie’s cornflakes away and she also still carries Albie’s jumper, taking it from the wash.

On the day Albie died, Leah met his dad at the farm entrance at 9 am. Albie’s dad took him to do errands, returning to the farm around 11:45 am. He then did his chores while Albie played in the garden by throwing sticks. Neil drove a telehandler with woodchip and reversed it by a few inches when he felt a thud.

He realized he had hit something in what was a horrific accident. Albie was rushed to the hospital but died there that afternoon.

Neil admitted to a health and safety breach in court because he did not ensure Albie’s safety. However, he denied gross negligence manslaughter, and wept, saying it was a “tragic accident”. The telehandler was defective. The judge said “all options are open” when he sentences Neil for the breach.

Leah said she feels Albie has been let down and feels deeply disappointed by the verdict. She does not know what to do now, and keeps reliving that summer’s day, remembering saying goodbye to Albie.

Neil called her and cried, saying “it’s Albie, it’s Albie”. Leah knew something bad happened to Albie when Neil told her Albie was dead, thinking it was a joke at first. At the hospital, she saw the police tape and knew it wasn’t a joke.

Leah was a nursery worker where Albie went, and left her job due to constant reminders. Albie had a star on the wall there, and though she works again, she avoids that room, saying ‘it just didn’t feel real’.

Albie was funny and happy, and he also loved the beach, balls, and doughnuts. Leah moved to Radcliffe to be near him, and he is buried in Radcliffe Cemetery. She did not touch Albie’s things after he died, and carried Albie’s jumper with her.

Leah says she just exists now, and tries to keep herself distracted, working many jobs. However, she felt guilty for not spending time with Ebon, and wonders how to tell Ebon about Albie.

Albie would be six, but he is three in her mind, and she thinks about buying him toys as he is stuck at three years old. Albie is Ebon’s older brother to her, but Ebon will get older while Albie remains three.

Leah struggles to leave Ebon with anyone, texting Ebon’s dad often. She needs pictures and updates and feels anxious. Ebon is her reason to keep going.

In court, Leah wrote that life changed forever. Her world is shattered, beyond repair and she feels broken and time stood still. It has been two years since Albie died, but it does not get easier.

Darkness fills her life, and she feels guilty for being alive. She prayed to trade places with Albie, but reveals Albie saved her. She wished she could have saved him, saying everything she did was for Albie.

She fears forgetting Albie’s voice, and has forgotten his smell and touch. She cannot experience the world the same way, and does not see happiness in the future. She just goes through the motions.

She is sad Ebon will not meet Albie, and believes Albie would have been the best big brother. She will keep Albie’s memory alive, even though the pain continues. Albie is never coming back and she won’t see him play or tuck him in.

Albie is everything to her. The only thing that keeps her going is the idea of seeing him again, and she loves him endlessly. He is her sunshine boy.