Murdered son's mum thought she was 'going to die the same way' after being attacked at his grave

Zoey McGill feared she would die at the hands of a group of youths, the same way her son had, after she was viciously beaten by a gang of thugs while visiting his grave

A mum has shared her horrifying ordeal where she was viciously attacked by a group of thugs as she sat at the graveside of her murdered son.

Zoey McGill said: "I thought they were going to kill me in the same way my son died, right by his grave." The terrified mum described how she was kicked and punched whilst sitting at her son Jack Woodley's grave.

Jack died after he was stabbed twice by a group of teens aged between 15 and 18 while at a town festival in Houghton-le-Spring near Sunderland on October 16, 2021. Jack, from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, was rushed to hospital but he died the next day. All 10 teenagers were found guilty of his murderer at a trial at Newcastle Crown Court in June 2022, and were handed life sentences two months later.

Three years on, Zoey still goes to sit at Jack's final resting place most nights, lighting candles, tending to his grave, and revisiting happy memories of her eldest son. On Halloween, she arrived with pumpkins that Jack's younger brothers Jayden and Jenson had carved to decorate the grave.

However, shortly after arriving her peace was disturbed. She described how “two cars full of people” arrived, surrounding her at Jack's graveside. She said the “sickening” assault which followed was the result of the same “pack mentality” which saw her son lose his life.

Zoey said: "I was approached by one of the group, and shortly after all of them jumped on me. When they were kicking me on the floor, all that went through my head is what happened to Jack. I thought they were going to kill me in the same way my son died, right by his grave."

Zoey spent Friday in hospital and suffered muscle damage and bruising to her head, neck and torso. Thankfully, none of her injuries are thought to be serious - though when she spoke to reporters she remained in a lot of pain.

She continued: "It's affected me more mentally than it has physically. I just can't understand why they did what they did at a boy's grave."

Zoey, who became a mum again 14-weeks-ago to son Ralph, is heartbroken at the attack. And though people in the community have offered to come to the cemetery with her, she feels that her son's grave should be a safe place for her, no matter who she is with.

She said: "I spend a lot of time up there, I spend a lot of money on his grave. The kids did his grave up for the three year anniversary, and the lights were all cut up. It's sickening really, it's that pack mentality that needs to be addressed. These people wouldn't do this alone, but they'll do it together, the same as they did to Jack that night.

"Jack's murderers killed him in exactly the same way and it's that pack mentality that the law needs to start stamping down on. I just don't think there's enough sentences passed for this kind of behaviour."

Durham Constabulary confirmed it had launched an investigation into the incident, ChronicleLive reports.

A spokesperson for Durham Constabulary said: "Police are investigating an assault which took place at West Cemetery, in School Aycliffe, last Thursday evening (October 31). A woman is believed to have been assaulted by a number of people while visiting the cemetery. Thankfully, she is not believed to have suffered any serious injuries. An investigation has been launched and enquiries are ongoing."