A former soldier has been killed in a car crash while working to support troops in Ukraine.
Jay Thorn, from Wark near Hexham, had been in the war torn country to train soldiers when tragedy struck. The 36-year-old, who had been due to marry his partner Louise Lathbury, died on May 21.
The Foreign Office has confirmed his death, which is not thought to be connected to the war. Today, as Louise waits for Jay's body to be returned home, she has paid tribute to her caring and selfless partner.
She said: "He was hard on the outside and soft on the inside. He had that exterior of being tough and he was tough but he a big softy inside.
"He just wanted to do some good."
Jay, who had been a fusilier for eight years, travelled to Ukraine to do humanitarian work after the war started, in February 2022.
Louise said he then found work helping to train the Ukrainian soldiers desperately trying to defend their homeland from Russia's invasion.
"He had been going back and forward since the war started," said Louise.
"He was doing a bit of everything over there. He was training a lot of the soldiers, because he's ex military and he was supporting different units.
"He felt he had skills that could be used there. It was something he felt he had to do.
Louise and Jay, who loved animals, kept in touch while he was in Ukraine via a secure messaging app.
"We messaged everyday and called as often as we could," she said. "I worried about him all the time."
While Louise feared for her partner's safety as he worked in the war zone, she never imagined that he would lose his life in a collision, that could have happened anywhere in the world.
Although Louise and Jay had not set a date for their wedding, on the day he died Louise had been to a local workshop to make her fiancé a unique wedding ring as a surprise for when he came home.
But now instead of planning their big day heartbroken Louise is arranging Jay's reaptriation and funeral.
And after discovering it could cost around £10,000 to bring him home she has set-up a page on the crowdfunding site GoFundMe to help cover the costs.
Louise wrote on the page: "I am devastated to announce that Jay was involved in a tragic car accident whilst overseas. His passing has left a void in my heart that can never be filled.
"As we all come to terms with this unthinkable loss, I have to face the overwhelming task of repatriating Jay back home. The cost of this is incredibly high and I’m reaching out for your support at this difficult time.
"I am creating this GoFundMe page in the hopes of raising enough funds to get Jay home to the place he loves so much.
"I know that Jay touched the lives of so many people and I am incredibly grateful for any support you can offer during this difficult time."
So far more than £6,000 has been donated to the page.
Louise says any additional funds will be donated to an animal charity or to help with another repatriation.
She added: "Jay grew up in Hexham and had lots of friends. He loved Hadrian's Wall."
A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: “We are providing support to the family of a British man following his death in Ukraine, and are in touch with the local authorities.”
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