A wife whose husband died on the sofa after a row has said she was pretending to be in a relationship with his brother for her children’s sake.According to Ashley, the photo she took with her husband’s brother Chris which she also posted on social media, has gotten her death threats. Mum-of-three Ashley Murrell, 33, said she had argued with her deceased husband Mikey about his long hours at work. After failing to make things up with her 36-year-old spouse, she told him to sleep on the sofa. The following morning, on 16 May, she discovered he had died. A post-mortem found that Mr Murrell had choked in his sleep, but the exact cause of death was inconclusive.
She told MailOnline that her relationship with Chris isn’t real, as she claimed they were only giving the impression they are a couple for the stability of her three children.
They are used to having their dad around so it is nice and so important for them to have a male figure in their lives.
‘And so we were pretending to be in a relationship for their sake.’
She added: ‘Chris is not a replacement for Mikey. He is their uncle and always will be.’Chris, an electrician, who also defended their ‘crazy’ relationship said;
‘Losing Mikey came as such a shock. It felt like someone had stuck a knife in my gut.
‘I drove straight round there to be with Ashley because she had no-one else.
‘We’re a close family and Ashley and I have been great friends for 10 years but since the loss we’ve become best friends. I’ve been a rock for her and she’s been a rock for me.
‘My mum finds a lot of comfort in seeing us support each other and I know Mikey would be happy to see I’m helping his wife and kids. I don’t know any brother who wouldn’t.’
‘I am here to support Ashley and be a father figure for the kids but they are very clear on the fact that I am their uncle.’