Liam Neeson's nephew dies 5 years after tragic accident

1352 January 17, 2019 | by Junie Sihlangu

On June 2014, Liam Neeson’s nephew, Ronan Sexton, was partying with friends in Brighton when he chose to climb up a phone booth on the city's seafront. Unfortunately, Sexton slipped and got badly hurt.

The 20ft fall left him suffering from catastrophic head injuries which he never fully recovered from. Sadly, this weekend, Neeson’s nephew passed away.

Actor Liam Neeson, 66, the star from the "Taken" films is currently mourning the death of his nephew Ronan Sexton, 35. His nephew was the youngest of 6 children from Neeson’s sister, Bernadette Sexton.

Sexton passed away surrounded by his family in Cushendall, Northern Ireland. The musician was living in Worthing, West Sussex, in 2014 when he reportedly climbed a red phone booth outside Brighton Pier.

The incident occurred at around 4 a.m. and Sexton, then-31, climbed the phone booth in a drunken dare. Unfortunately, he slipped and hit his head on the concrete below.

At the time, Sexton was taken to a nearby hospital in a critical condition. He was later transferred to a specialist neurological center.

In the same year, his family thanked the public for their "love, support, prayers and good wishes." In a statement, they also revealed: "Ronan is receiving wonderful treatment from the dedicated staff at Hurstwood Park."

Neeson, who lives in the US, was said to be devastated by his nephew's death. The star reportedly often flies back to the UK to see his mother and 3 sisters.

Sexton’s passing came 9 years after the death of Neeson's wife of 15 years, Natasha Richardson, 45. In March 2009, the actress suffered a fatal head injury during a ski trip when she fell while taking lessons on a beginner’s ski slope at the Mont Tremblant resort in Quebec.

Besides the recent death, Sexton’s mother also lost her partner Harry Shannon 2 years ago. Parish priest Father Luke McWilliams said the family had asked for privacy as they mourned their current loss.

Speaking about losing his wife, Neeson previously said:

"It hits you. It's like a wave. You just get this profound feeling of instability ... the Earth isn't stable anymore and then it passes and it becomes more infrequent, but I still get it sometimes. [Her death] was never real. It still kind of isn't. There are periods now in our New York residence when I hear the door opening, especially the first couple of years... any time I hear that door opening, I still think I'm going to hear her."