Tragic Leon was ‘canny boy’ with whole life ahead of him

TRAGIC Leon Weston has been described as a “canny boy” who had his whole life ahead of him.

At a moving service for the five-year-old yesterday Rev Mark Nicholas told mourners: “We should not be here today, Leon had his whole life ahead of him.”

Around 100 grieving friends and relatives packed out a church in Dalkeith, Midlothian, for the funeral of Leon, who was killed by his mother Michelle Stephen just before she took her own life.

The double tragedy happened at their home in Sighthill on February 28.

Michelle’s father, prison officer Jimmy Weir, had died of cancer just weeks before she took her own life and killed her son.

Leon’s father, Kevin Weston, who was divorced from 31-year-old Michelle, was among the mourners who listened to Rev Nicholas.

Rev Nicholas said: “Jimmy’s death in January was a sore blow for Leon. Though he was too young to tell quite how much it had affected him the toll it took on his mum proved unbearable and so we find ourselves here today.

“Many people have said that, in her own mind, Michelle was off to see her Dad and couldn’t bear to leave Leon behind.

The minister described Leon as a “canny” boy who had his “whole life ahead of him.”

He said: “Leon was a canny lad, as bright as a button and you couldn’t pull the wool over his eyes – ‘I know everything!’. He was loved by everyone who knew him.”

The 30-minute service at St Johns & King’s Park in Dalkeith started at 11am with the mourners mostly dressed in black, with some flashes of red, perhaps to symbolise Leon’s support of Manchester United football team, whom he supported alongside Hearts.

The crowd entered the service to the moving sounds of “Precious Child” by Karen Taylor, and his coffin was accompanied by three red and white wreaths, which read Son, Leon and Godson.

Rev Nicholas gave a moving insight into the life and personality of Leon.

He said: “Leon started as a shy boy but as he got older he came out of his shell. And he was a man’s boy. When he was at the club he would gravitate to the men as they stood together, looking for his cider, which was, in truth an Appletise.

“As his dad said Leon was a pocket rocket. He would play football with Jimmy in the living room with a rolled up sock as a football and then proceed to kick lumps out of him.

“Leon was fire engine daft and every time a fire station was passed in the car you would have to guess hoe many fire engines were there. He also used to keep an eye out for Eddie Stobbart lorries,” he added.

He also spoke of his love of “brown and red sauce” on his chips and that he loved a bowl of supernoodles.

He said Leon’s two favourite sings were “The lazy song” by Bruno Mars, which he called “The Monkey Song” and LMFAO’s “I’m sexy and I know it”

The service included selected prayers and blessings and the family asked for donations to be made to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.

The congress exited to “Arms of an Angel” by Sarah McLachlan, with Kevin helping his mother, Mary, out of the church as she was overcome by emotion.

A joint funeral service for Leon and his mother was later held at Mortonhall Crematorium.