A YOUNG widow paid tribute to her soldier husband on the first anniversary of his death.

Royal Signalman David Grout died following an unprovoked attack, seven hours after returning home from Afghanistan.

No one has been brought to justice for his death.

Kerry Grout, of Fallowfield Road, Colchester, has spoken publicly for the first time of the “indescribable” pain of losing her husband.

Mr Grout met Kerry when he was based in Colchester. They had a son, Harley, now two.

The 22-year-old suffered serious head injuries in a fight outside a club in his home area of Middlesbrough. He died a week later in hospital.

Hundreds attended his funeral to pay tribute to the soldier, who was given a full military send-off.

Today marks one year since his death.

Mrs Grout, 22, said: “Each day gets better but will never be the same. To this day, it doesn’t seem real.

“I miss David more and more each day and now Harley is asking questions and I don’t know how to say daddy will never come home.

“One minute I’m telling him daddy is away at work, and then he is in heaven with the angels. He doesn’t understand.

“I always talk to Harley about his daddy and he says he misses him.

“It breaks my heart that he will never know him.”

Mrs Grout described her husband as a brilliant and loving person, a brilliant soldier, and a loving husband and father.

She said: “The emptiness I feel without David is indescribable.

“However much I have tried to get on with our lives this year, I just seem to be stuck in one place – a wife and mother of a once-happy family. “I can’t really describe how this year has been because it has had so many ups and downs and so many sad times.

“I feel without David things can never be as good as they were. I love him and always will.”

Mrs Grout and other members of David’s family have received support from the Army.

At Christmas, she, Harley and other war widows were invited to 10 Downing Street.

A trust fund has been set up to support Harley and other military families.

Details are on Facebook under the New David Grout Foundation.