Sam Rimmer: Sharing birthday with killed son unbearable, mum says

A mum who shared her birthday with her son has said since he was killed, the day has become an "unbearable reminder" of how he was "cruelly stolen from us".

Sam Rimmer died after he was shot while standing with friends in Dingle, Liverpool, on 16 August 2022.

Speaking on what would have been his 23rd birthday, his mother said his death had "broken our family and we will never recover".

Four people have been arrested and released on bail over the shooting.

Merseyside Police said Mr Rimmer had been with a group of friends at 23:40 BST when two men on electric bikes drove into the cul-de-sac on Lavrock Bank in Dingle and began firing.

He was pronounced dead a short while later at hospital.

The force previously released CCTV images of two men they wanted to speak to about his death.

In a statement, Mr Rimmer's mother, who has not been named, said he "loved his birthday and the day was a special family occasion as he shared his birthday with me".

"Every birthday, Sam would say 'happy birthday Mumzy' and it breaks my heart to know I will never hear those words again," she said.

She said he had been "funny, caring and loyal", had an "infectious" laugh and was the "life and soul of every party".

"His birthday is an unbearable reminder that Sam was cruelly stolen from us and we will never hear him laugh again," she said.

She said he had been "due to be a father and he was so excited about having a baby boy".

She said that while it brought her family "comfort that a part of Sam will live on... the devastating reality is baby Sam will never feel his dad's arms around him or know how it feels to hear his dad's laughter".

"Sam's death has broken our family and we will never recover."

She added that her "devastated and broken-hearted" family would not rest "until justice is served".

Det Ch Insp Steve McGrath said although Merseyside Police had "made several arrests across Liverpool since the murder of Sam Rimmer, we know there's more to be done and our inquiries remain ongoing".

"It is vital that anyone who was in the area... comes forward with any information or footage that could help our investigation," he said.

"Our detectives will review any information you share with us, so please look back to that night and contact us immediately if you remember anything that could help us bring justice for Sam's family."

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