A GRIEVING mum whose son was beaten to death in a German nightclub will feature in a Channel 4 documentary tonight.
Marie Heath, 54, of Silver End, and her family appear on The Murder Workers: Cutting Edge, a show that follows the work of Victim Support's national homicide team as they help families deal with their grief and stress during murder investigations.
Mrs Heath's son Lee, 31, was murdered by three bouncers in a nightclub in Frankfurt, the city where he had been living and working for 18 months.
She had a long fight for justice involving 116 flights to the German city and a five-month legal battle that look over a year to see the inside of a courtroom, which crippled her financially – despite a Chronicle campaign that raised £3,500 towards her flights and accommodation.
The documentary follows her and her partner Brian Reeves, 60, and son Danny, 29, to the trial, at which the Chronicle was also present.
"To have the cameras come with us was a big decision for our family to make, but we wanted to highlight the great work the Victim Support workers do and do it mainly for Lee and for all the great support our liaison officer Carol has been and still is," she said.
"When someone is murdered there's no support, you have to wait to find out yourself. It was important for us to have our voice.
"At first we felt like we were just a statistic. Criminals and murderers have all the help in the world, but there's no practical help for the victims' families."
Three bouncers were jailed in September 2012 for a combined 24-and-a-half years for killing Lee Heath on Easter Monday, 2011.
"We couldn't have asked for a better group in the Channel 4 team, they were brilliant, I can't praise them enough. They became like members of the family and we still keep in contact.
"When we went out to Germany the camera being out there following us had an effect on the way we were treated. Suddenly a car met us at the airport – that didn't happen before.
"I wasn't even allowed to show emotion – I couldn't be sad, I couldn't be angry. As a family you are limited to what you can say, so it was a way for us to have our say. By having the cameras there it took the pressure off us and deflected attention a bit.
"Some families don't get that support so we wanted to thank them. I can never thank Carol enough; she'll always have a place in our family."
When a murder investigation begins not only do bereaved families have to deal with the initial loss of a relative, they are also thrown into a world of police investigations and criminal proceedings of which they would otherwise not be familiar with.
The Victim Support team helps with funeral arrangements, applying for compensation, getting specialist counselling, closing down bank accounts, cancelling holidays or just being there.
Carol Geere, 48, formerly of Writtle, is a member of the Victim Support team, and previously helped families affected by gang crime in the Caribbean.
She said: "We made it clear that if Marie said yes at first she could say no at any time. We followed her through the trial and after. As long as they need us we're there for them, even after the trial."
