Channel 4These three young sisters reveal the harrowing details from the night their mum was tragically murdered by their dad.
It’s hard to imagine anything more horrific than a father of three children murdering their mum before turning the knife on themselves, but that’s exactly what happened to this family.
The three children, Chloe, 13, Chelsea, 10 and nine-year-old Lottie were sleeping when their dad, brutally stabbed their mum before killing himself.
Channel 4The eldest of the three girls, recalls the horrendous night she and her sisters lost both parents.
Chelsea said:
One day my mum and dad split up. Dad was jealous and came up with a plan.
Mum answered the door but he was holding a knife and he barged in and just stabbed her. Then he walked into our room and said ‘Night’.
Even though I was awake I pretended to be asleep. I woke up but there was a policeman carrying me. I was confused. Then Nan said they had passed away but I didn’t know what passed away meant.
Channel 4The Channel 4 film, A Killing In My Family, follows eight families which have been torn apart by the murder of a close relative and how bereavement charity, Winston’s Wish, endeavours to help them.
A senior support worker at the charity, Gemma Allen, explained why the charity is so important in helping the victims in these terrible cases.
She said:
Murder can happen to ordinary families. To come along and leave themselves so open and vulnerable and exposed, that can be terrifying.
But they need to be with others who have experienced a murder. They just need to be with people who get it.
Channel 4The kids are encouraged to produce drawings to help them deal with the dreadful things they have witnessed and experienced.
Their grandmother Jackie – who now looks after the three girls – said:
He slashed her throat then stabbed her 22 times. How could he do that, knowing his young children were upstairs and could’ve found them like that?
The hardest thing now is answering their questions, like ‘Where are mummy and daddy now? and ‘Are they together?’
Gemma explained part of the charity’s work is to help the children come to terms with and deal with the horrific things they have gone through and give them a chance to cry.
Chelsea said:
I just don’t feel right when I let tears out in front of people.
And Lottie added:
I love them and miss them. They made me smile.
During the sessions, there is also counselling available for the guardians of the children, so they too can come to terms with the terrible situations.
Grandma Jackie said:
He wasn’t nasty, he wasn’t violent, he was just Dave. You miss him as much as you do her. They’d been together so many years.
The charity is UK based and offers support specifically for murder bereavement and holds the only counselling weekends away for children in England and Wales.
Channel 4Such an awful case, but it’s amazing charities like Winston’s Wish are there to try and pick up the pieces and offer help and support to the children left behind.
If you would like more information or to make a donation to the charity, visit: Winston’s Wish.
