THE grieving mother of a young man who died following an alleged attack in Morningside today said her son was desperate for a family Christmas as if "he knew he was saying goodbye".

Wendy Barlow has been left devastated by the death of her "baby" after her 20-year-old son died five days ago.

Alexander Thomson – known to family and friends as "Blue" – was found injured in the garden of flats in Newbattle Terrace in the early hours of Sunday morning after a late-night party and died later in hospital. Now his mum is being comforted by Blue's step-dad, Alan, and the rest of her distraught family.

Mrs Barlow said her son had moved to Newcastle last February in a bid to start his life afresh and had been decorating his new flat.

His mum also described the harrowing moment she had to identify his body in the mortuary on Monday, her 43rd birthday.

Peter Tarwinski, 25, and Laura King, 23, have been charged with assault to severe injury and to the danger of life following the 20-year-old's death.

Mrs Barlow, a care manager, said: "Alan and I had been out shopping on Sunday and when we got back home there was a note from the police. Straight away I knew something was wrong.

"Then a couple of minutes later two detectives came to the door and told us what happened. I just broke down and started screaming, 'No'. Alan had to pick me up off the floor. Blue was my baby. We're absolutely devastated."

Blue was an apprentice electrician who had moved to Newcastle to be near his sister, Charlene, 24, a receptionist.

He travelled back to Edinburgh to spend Christmas and New Year with his family and had planned to return south earlier this week.

She added: "Blue wasn't a person who was big on Christmas, but this year we had a big family celebration and he loved it. He went to see his gran and grandad. It was almost like he knew this was going to happen and he knew he was saying goodbye. He was trying to fit everything into his last few days."

An ambulance was called to the 18-flat block Cunningham House just yards from the Dominion Cinema at 6.30am on Sunday. Blue was taken unconscious to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary but died a short time later. Mrs Barlow, who now lives in Dunfermline, said: "He loved his family so much. He would be phoning or texting me or his sister seven times a day. He didn't like being on his own.

"Blue did love himself and he won't mind me saying that. He could never pass a mirror without checking himself out."

Mr Barlow, 34, a partner with a builder's merchant, said: "He was best man when I renewed my vows to Wendy after 11 years in 2006. I will miss him so much."

His sister said: "He was my best mate. I always knew I could tell him anything."

Blue's father, Alexander Thomson, 44, lives in East Claremont Street, Broughton, with his two sons Claye, 16, and Ben, 11.

Tarwinski, described in court papers as of no fixed abode, and King, of Newbattle Terrace, made no plea or declaration and were remanded in custody for further examination following a hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

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