Liam Neeson's nephew, Ronan Sexton, has passed away at the age of 35, five years after he sustained serious head injuries from a tragic fall from a phone box. The Belfast Telegraph, who reported the news first, revealed that the 35-year-old died over the weekend in Cushendall, a village Northern Ireland.
Ronan never fully recovered from the tragic fall, which happened during a night out with friends in Brighton in the summer of 2014. A police spokesperson said at the time: "Just after 4am on Sunday a man climbed on top of a telephone kiosk outside Brighton Pier when he fell some 20ft to the ground, sustaining a serious head injury."
After being admitted to a nearby hospital where he was in critical condition, the family released a statement that read: "Ronan is receiving wonderful treatment from the dedicated staff at Hurstwood Park." They also thanked the public for their "love, support, prayers and good wishes for Ronan."
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Ronan was the youngest of six children. His mother Bernadette is the actor's sister.
Following the sad news of Ronan's death, parish priest Fr Luke McWilliams told The Belfast Telegraph the family asked for privacy as they mourned their loss.
It's not the first time that Liam has had to deal with tragic family news. Back in 2009 his wife Natasha Richardson passed away following a skiing accident. In 2014, the 66-year-old Taken star opened up about his grief, confessing he was finding it hard to come to terms with his loss. On US show 60 Minutes, he told Anderson Cooper: "Her death was never real. It still kind of isn't. There's periods now in our New York residence when I hear the door opening, especially the first couple of years… anytime I hear that door opening, I still think I’m going to hear her."
Liam and Natasha, who had two sons Michael and Daniel together, were married in 1994. The Irish actor also recalled the moment he was forced to say goodbye to his wife. "She was on life support… I went in to her and I told her I loved her, said, 'Sweetie, you're not coming back from this, you've banged your head'," he said. "She and I had made a pact — if any of us got into a vegetative state that we'd pull the plug. That was my immediate thought, 'OK, these tubes have to go. She's gone.'"