The family of a man found dead in Barnsley on Friday have spoken publicly for the first time, identifying him as Stephen Grimmer, 62, and describing him as a devoted husband, father, grandfather and brother.
South Yorkshire Police say they were first alerted at 5.45pm on Friday 14 August to concerns about a missing man from Sheffield. Just under five hours later, at 10.16pm, officers were called again — this time to a report that a body had been found at a property on George Street, in Barnsley’s Worsborough Bridge area.
Emergency services were called out, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Husband, father, grandfather and brother
Stephen’s family are being supported by Family Liaison Officers as they come to terms with what has happened. In a tribute, they said: “Stephen was a loving husband, father, grandfather and brother who made us all who we are today. He would go out of his way to help anyone and was liked by everyone who knew him.
“He lived for holidays with his family and had planned on travelling to Spain the evening that he was tragically killed. His second home was Gibraltar and held some of his best memories.
“Stephen was proud of his army service in the Duke of Wellington regiment and the friends he made in the service were brothers to him. He loved his body art, as his face tattoos prove, and although he could often look quite intimidating, he was really as soft as a brush and had a heart of gold. We are now asking for privacy as we try to come to terms with the loss of Stephen, who was taken from us far too soon.”
Andrew Fowler, 62, of George Street in Barnsley, has since been charged with murder in connection with Stephen’s death, and is next due in front of a judge at Sheffield Crown Court, with a hearing listed for today.
