A Suffolk man has won custody of his granddaughter following his son’s murder in China but has been forced to leave his grandson behind, it has been reported.
Ian Simpson, 69, from Hartest, near Bury St Edmunds, flew to the Far East on December 17 for the bitter legal dispute in the hope of bringing six-year-old Alice and eight-year-old Jack back to the UK.
Mr Simpson’s son Michael, 34, was working as an executive for Next in Shanghai when he was stabbed to death by his estranged wife and the children’s mother Weiwei Fu – who was jailed for life for the murder.
Jack and Alice were taken to live in rural Nanzhang in north-west China by their maternal grandparents following the murder in March 2017.
As reported in the Mail on Sunday, Mr Simpson and ex-wife Linda were faced with an agonising decision to split their grandchildren up – or leave without either of them
Mr Simpson told the Mail that he will continue the fight for Jack to reunite the brother and sister.
Speaking to this newspaper before he left for the court battle, Mr Simpson said: “It’s been very frustrating and very emotional as it’s been such a long process to get to this point.
“But it’s also very nerve-racking as there is no appeal following this decision.
“I think we’ve got a lot on our side. All the paperwork is there, but it’s no good getting your hopes up because we know that it could all go against us.
“To lose would just be heart-breaking, devastating and horrendous.”
The legal battle has cost the couple thousands of pounds and a Just Giving page has been set up by a neighbour of Mr Simpson’s to help with costs.
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