The brother of a 28-year-old woman found dead in Ipswich has described her as a 'devoted mum' who 'would never hurt anybody'. Karlie Sone, also known as Karlie Day, was declared dead in the early hours of Tuesday last week after being found unresponsive by police at a block of flats. Paul Stevenson, 39, has been charged with her murder.
Kris Sone, 32, paid tribute to his sister, saying she was a caring person and her two children 'were everything for her'. He told the BBC: 'They were her main driver to get her out of bed in the morning and to go and seize the day; she was the most devoted mum. She was always happy and trying to motivate people around her to make better decisions or help them with things that they were going through.'
Karlie, who dreamed of becoming a nursery practitioner, was one of five siblings. Kris, who serves in the Army Cadet Force, said the news of her death was a shock. 'When it's your 28-year-old sister who you'd literally spoken to a couple of days ago, it is so much more of a shock,' he said. 'It just provokes lots of questions and doesn't answer any of them.'
Floral tributes have been left at the scene, and a vigil was held in Landseer Park. A fundraising page for funeral costs and to support Karlie's children has raised over £20,000. Kris said: 'No amount of money will replace what we've lost, but those girls are going to need so much in their life and it will help them to get a fresh start.'
Stevenson appeared at Ipswich Crown Court, where a trial date was set for September 24, with a plea and trial preparation hearing in May. A post-mortem found the cause of death was 'pending further investigation'.
