A father has described his devastation after finding his daughter, 11, dead in her bedroom when he went to wake her up for school.
Roxy-Mae Barber, who her father Michael Barber described as ‘funny and generous’, was found dead in her bedroom on May 4 last year.
Since his daughter’s death, he has been unable to return to his home.
He said: ‘I’m devastated and have not been able to go back into the house where I found Roxy since her death and have been staying with my brother.
‘I’ve now sold it and will be moving in with my partner.’
Roxy-Mae Barber’s death remains unexplained after she was discovered on May 4 last year at her home in Grimsby
His daughter had moved in to his home in Grimsby after spending her early years with her mum nearby.
‘She was beautiful, kind, funny and generous,’ Mr Barber said.
‘She enjoyed having things done for her and having her meals cooked.’
He said they had considered getting a dog, and Roxy enjoyed playing Fortnite on her Playstation with friends and on social media sites Snapchat and TikTok.
In the weeks leading up to her death, she was pleased that Mr Barber and his partner were thinking of getting married and had even started planning it in her notebook, he said.
The coroner referred to another statement, by a person who was not identified, in which Roxy-Mae was described as a ‘happy, cheeky and cared-for girl’.
The circumstances surrounding her death remain uncertain, with an inquest last week hearing that there was no evidence of suicide or intention.
On the day leading up to her death, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, with Roxy going to and coming home from school as normal.
The last time Mr Barber spoke to his daughter was on the evening of May 3.
At around 10.30pm that night he said he heard a loud bang but thought nothing of it. At 7am the next day, he knocked on Roxy’s door to wake her up for school, but received no answer.
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After further attempts to get a reply, he entered the room and discovered his daughter’s body.
Paramedics arrived on scene shortly after 7.30am, but Roxy-Mae was pronounced dead.
Crime Scene Investigators were also called, and officers inspected Roxy’s social media accounts, but there was nothing on them or her devices to raise any concerns.
Recording a narrative verdict, the coroner said that although the act that led to Roxy’s death was deliberate, she did not intend to die.
He said: ‘It was a dangerous act to do this and I am reminded that we are dealing with the tragedy of a girl of 11 years of age.
‘There are too many unknowns to judge what the circumstances were or what was in her mind at that time.
‘There is no evidence of suicide or intention.
‘This absence means the most appropriate thing is a narrative conclusion.’
Roxy’s mother said at the hearing that she did not believe her daughter’s death was an act of suicide, and instead was a ‘tragic accident’.
The family garden was transformed into a colourful and poignant tribute after Roxy’s death
Mr Barber added: ‘She was a pleasure to be around and loved music. She also loved her two pet gerbils, Toffee and Caramel.
‘The memories and love we felt for her will live on forever in our hearts, even though she was only with us for a short time.’
The family’s neighbours came together to pay tribute to her death shortly afterwards, with the family garden transformed into a colourful and poignant tribute.
Mourners were urged to wear colourful clothes in her memory while donations were made to the RSPCA to reflect her love of animals.
According to the funeral notice, Roxy-Mae left behind parents Mike and Tracy, stepmother Nikki, siblings Charlie, Ben and Mason and was a ‘cherished granddaughter, niece and cousin.’
