THE family of a Bournemouth solicitor who died after refusing to get the Covid vaccine said he “paid the ultimate price”.

Leslie Lawrenson, 58, was found dead by his 19-year-old stepson at his home address on July 2, the same day his partner Amanda Mitchell was hospitalised with the virus.

And now the family are urging everyone to get the vaccine so they don’t experience the same thing.

Bournemouth Echo: Carla Hodges, Leslie Lawrenson, Blake Lawrenson, Amanda Mitchell and Taylor Preston

Stepdaughter Carla Hodges, 35, told the Daily Echo: “He was a really well-educated guy that ended up in the rabbit hole about the vaccine, thinking if he got Covid he would be ok.

“I go through emotions feeling sad and frustrated. There’s so much out there, it’s so easy to get wrapped up in conspiracy theories, the anti-vaxxers’ game is strong.

“He was just convinced natural antibodies could fight this and said the vaccine was not fully approved.

“My mum would talk to him about it, everything she would say he would have a counter argument for, she was scared to have it and scared to not have it.”

Bournemouth Echo: Leslie Lawrenson with his youngest son Blake

Amanda, who had Covid at the same time as Leslie, was hospitalised with Covid on July 2 and spent a week at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

When Amanda’s 19-year-old son went to tell Leslie she was going to hospital, he found him dead in bed.

Carla continued: “My mum will be going to get the vaccine when she’s strong enough. We paid the ultimate price, my mum regrets not getting the vaccine. We don’t want another family to go through this.

“If you are on the fence, sit down and look at what’s happened to my family.

“My 11-year-old brother now doesn’t have a dad anymore. Our life is not going to be the same as it was six weeks ago, it is completely different.”

Bournemouth Echo: Leslie Lawrenson with his son Taylor and Blake

Because Leslie and Amanda weren’t married, she is unable to access the finances left by her partner of 14 years.

And a GoFundMe page has been set up to help support the family, with nearly £3,500 raised already.

Carla added: “We have some amazing friends and family that are supporting us, and I know it sounds wrong, but we really need money because bills still need to be paid and it will help alleviate some of the stress that we are feeling as a family.

“Having a bit of money just takes away a lot of the pressures at the moment so she can focus of getting better.

The GoFundMe page can be viewed at https://bit.ly/3fuUNOn.