Gay Northants

Michael Fardon, 45, from Northampton died after being hit in the head and then thrown down a concrete stairwell.

His attacker, 19-year-old James Hyland, was jailed for life.

The pair had previously met at the nearby Boston Clipper pub on College Street, Northampton.

A year after Michael's brutal murder, his sister Cheryl Walden, is still trying coming to terms with his death.

"Michael was so funny; he had a brilliant sense of humour. He would do anything in the world for me. I just loved him to pieces," she says.

The murder trial heard that the attack on Michael was homophobic. Hyland had lashed out at Michael while in a state of "confusion about his sexuality".

Two weeks before the murder, Hyland had attacked another man in the toilets of different gay bar.

Cheryl says her brother's murder got extra publicity because it involved a gay man: "Because it was homophobic there was a big fuss as if there was something wrong with being gay," she says.

Michael had only told a few people that he was gay. According to his sister, he had led a 'double life': "Obviously he thought that was the easiest way to live his life," says Cheryl.   

He was probably concerned about what people might think of him if he 'came out': "He was a lovely guy, but some people would have changed their opinions about him just because he was gay. Whether he was gay or not, he was still the same person."

Cheryl asks "Was he happy? We'll never know".

July 2007 marks the 40th anniversary of the law which legalised male homosexuality. Many gay rights have been won since then, including Civil Partnerships which are the equivalent of marriages in all but name. But homophobia is still widespread.

During 2006/7, the Northamptonshire Police Hate Crimes Unit investigated 150 homophobic incidents.

The Northants Lesbian Gay & Bisexual Alliance says the actual number of offences will be much higher as many offences go unreported.

Cheryl believes the mind-set of some people towards homosexuals is to blame: "I think attitudes should change."

She adds: "Who's to say how we should live our lives? Let everybody live how they want to live."

Silence

The Boston Clipper pub, where Michael Fardon had met his murderer, is holding a one minutes silence in honour of Michael at midnight on 27 July 2007.

The pub is installing an InfoPod - a computer connected to the police so that people can report homophobic attacks anonymously.

Cheryl says some good may eventually come out of her brother's death: "Perhaps [it will] stop another dreadful crime like this happening and make people aware that gay people are normal people just wanting to live a life like anyone else."