The heartbroken family of a Cambridge-educated anti-vaxxer who died from Covid is desperately asking trolls to leave them alone.
Leslie Lawrenson passed away at his home in Bournemouth on July 2, having refused to get jabbed as he believed the vaccines were too “experimental”.
The 58-year-old had reportedly claimed Covid was “nothing to be afraid of” and was “no worse than a cold”.
In videos posted to Facebook, he said he would “rather the antibodies than the jabs”.
Speaking as a guest on LBC’s Swarbrick on Sunday, following Mr Lawrenson’s death, his stepdaughter Carla Hodges, said it had been “really tough”.
Ms Hodges, who is vaccinated, said people had been trolling her stepdad’s Facebook account with hateful comments, while her mum was getting messages and notifications from the trolls as well.
"They are calling him a killer, they are calling the family killers and it's just not the truth,” she said.
“He caught Covid through no fault of his own, and unfortunately he did have those views on the vaccine and he has paid the full price.”
Hodges said she didn’t know what people now wanted from him, or the family.
“I don't understand why we need to have these comments - just please leave us alone,” she said.
While the rest of the family were now focusing on grieving, as well as educating others around getting the vaccine, she asked that anyone who did not agree with his views “just move on”.
Ms Hodges said her stepfather had been “brainwashed” by the content he saw on YouTube and other social media platforms.
"He said: 'A lot of people will die more from having the vaccine than getting Covid.'"
Mr Lawrenson’s partner, 56-year-old Amanda Mitchell, contracted Covid around the same time as Mr Lawrenson and was admitted to hospital.
Amanda, who has diabetes and hypertension, said her partner appeared to be recovering from Covid-related pneumonia while she became seriously ill.
But then paramedics who attended her at home on July 2 were called back 10 minutes later when her 19-year-old son found Mr Lawrenson dead in bed.
She said: "Les made a terrible mistake and he's paid the ultimate price for that."
"Les was highly educated... so everything he said to us, I believed. I thought he couldn't possibly be making a mistake."
But now, Ms Mitchell said in hindsight it was "probably quite naïve" of her to place such a level of faith in his judgements.
“Les died unnecessarily,” she said.
Ms Mitchell is now encouraging others to take the vaccine, in a bid to help other families avoid suffering a similar tragedy.
She planned to get the vaccine as soon as doctors declared her fit enough.
