Partner of footballer Jordan Sinnott, killed in Retford, had to battle in court to prove his existence on daughter's birth certificate

The partner of footballer Jordan Sinnott fought in court hearings for over two years after his death to have his name included on their daughter's birth certificate.

Kelly Bossons found out she was pregnant only a couple of days after burying Jordan Sinnott, who died aged 25 in January 2020 after being assaulted during a night out in Retford.

Maisie Jordan Sinnott, born in September 2020 is now two.

Kelly and Jordan were not married so when Kelly went to register Maisie’s birth, Jordan’s name wasn’t allowed on to the certificate because he wasn’t present and couldn’t consent to it.

Kelly said: “If we had been married at the point of registration in the same situation, I would’ve been able to do it without any problem and I wouldn't have to go through a court process to have him put on the birth certificate.

“It’s just extremely unjustified because it all comes down to our marital status. If we were married I would’ve been entitled to do it at the point of registration but because we weren’t married I had to go to court.

“From the court process they requested DNA to prove parentage, which is fine, I am more than happy to prove that because I wasn’t trying to get something that we weren’t already entitled to, they just made it really difficult for us to do so.”

The couple had been living together and shared a mortgage for three years in their house in Retford, but Kelly and Maisie are currently living in Bilsthorpe.

She said: “It’s been overwhelming. I never really had the chance to prepare for Maisie coming because she was such a surprise and through the whole of the pregnancy we had to go through the criminal trial for the people who killed Jordan.

“When Maisie was born it was really like 'oh I have to raise a baby now'.

“It was the worst time of my life because it wasn’t as people would expect when you’re welcoming a new baby into the world. But, at the end of the day, I am very grateful to have her.

She has got me through the worst days and what Jordan most wanted in his life was to have a family and his own children.”

The 29-year-old admitted her daughter Maisie shares a lot of characteristics with her dad, especially when it comes to her sense of humour.

She said: “She’s just like him in every way. It’s like having a part of him around still. They are very similar.

“At times she’ll see other children with their dads and ask about her daddy, to which I say your daddy is in your heart ­— and she will say 'my daddy is in my heart'.”

Kelly wants to raise awareness to the marital and cohabitation issues that people could face and use her experience to change the process.

This will only ever come to you at the worst time of your life," she said.

"You lose your partner, then you have a child and you go to register the birth and you get denied the right at a really awful time.

“The birth certificate situation and how married couples have more rights than unmarried couples is a really old fashioned way of viewing society and people relationships.

“At the minute, statistics show that 51% of cohabiting couples are unmarried with children. More than half of the population that have children are unmarried, even though the process that I had to go through and my circumstances are very small, this could potentially affect half of the population, it is way bigger than just me.”

Maisie’s mother admitted that the charity Jordan Sinnott Foundation Trust, set up in Jordan’s name, is one of the reasons that she gets up every morning.

“He was just the greatest person to be around, constantly making me laugh and I was so happy in his company and I really miss that," she said.

“I think the whole circumstance is tragic and dramatic but it is easier for me to function if I have something positive to work towards because we sit and cry all day about how much we miss him but I don’t think he would be very pleased with us doing that.

“We can’t change any of the bad things that have happened but we’re trying to use them to create a bit more positivity for people through the charity and the campaign to change this legislation.

“If we can get a positive outcome it just makes it all worthwhile.”

Kelly will soon be working together with another charity called WAY Widowed and Young, which campaigns for bereaved couples with the aim to change the birth certificate legislation.