An inquest has heard that Gary Lineker’s 18-year-old nephew, Jonty Parkinson, tragically died after being crushed by a falling tree trunk while working as a tree surgeon in Oxfordshire.
Jonty, the nephew-in-law of the former footballer, passed away on September 6 from a crush injury to his abdomen.
The young man was from Coln St. Aldwyns, Cirencester, and his death was reported in a brief hearing held on September 25 at Oxford Coroner’s Court.
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Social media in his local community has been flooded with tributes, and a GoFundMe campaign, initiated by a family friend, has raised over £30,000 in his memory.
The fundraiser aims to help his grieving parents, Bob and Ali Parkinson, with funeral costs and potentially fund a memorial for Jonty.
His funeral, which took place last Friday, saw local businesses close to allow staff to pay their respects.
Jonty’s cousins, George and Tobias Lineker, sons of Gary Lineker and his first wife, Michelle, shared emotional tributes online.
George, 31, described Jonty as “one of the nicest boys you’ll meet” and expressed his sadness at losing him so young.
Tobias, 28, shared a childhood photo of Jonty, saying, “Taken from us far too soon, rest in peace little cousin.”
Though Gary Lineker has yet to publicly comment on the loss, the heartbreak in the family is evident. Jonty’s grandmother, Sue Parkinson, who owns local boutiques in Gloucestershire, also acknowledged the outpouring of support in a social media post.
Sue shared that her family was “devastated” by the tragedy and thanked their staff and customers for their continued support during such a difficult time.
Many local businesses, including the New Wave Brasserie in Lechlade, where Jonty had once worked, also expressed their condolences and temporarily closed in honor of his life.
Jonty had been working in landscaping for some time, and his dedication to the job was reflected in photos shared online.
A profile picture on social media from 2023 showed him standing proudly next to a felled tree. This loss has resonated not just with his family, but across the local community, with many remembering his kind and warm personality.
Jonty’s mother, Ali, is the sister of Michelle Cockayne, Gary Lineker’s ex-wife. Ali was once married to former England rugby captain Will Carling, and they share a son, Henry.
The Lineker family has long been in the public eye, but this recent tragedy has brought them together in shared grief.
The full inquest into the circumstances surrounding Jonty’s death has yet to take place, and the Oxford Mail reports that the incident occurred in Eaton Hastings.
Until then, tributes continue to pour in as family and friends cope with this devastating loss.
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