Peter Stafford

Case record: Peter Stafford

Background

Peter Stafford committed suicide by hanging himself at the family home in Sparkhill, Birmingham, after killing his three young children and his wife.

Family members and neighbours described the couple as seemingly normal and a “happy family” before the deaths.

The offence

Police believed that Peter Stafford stabbed his wife and children to death before taking his own life.

The victims were:

• Helen Stafford (Peter Stafford’s wife), found in an upstairs bedroom with a head injury
• Kellie Stafford, aged seven, found dead in a downstairs kitchen
• Daniel Stafford, aged six, found dead in a downstairs kitchen
• Joe Stafford, aged two, discovered in an upstairs front bedroom

Police said the bodies of the children and their mother were found when officers forced their way into the house in Sparkhill, Birmingham, on Monday afternoon.

Inspector Phil Wright described the scene inside the terraced house as the “worst” he had seen in 20 years’ service.

Inspector Phil Wright said: “Officers were faced with a tragic scene,”

Police believed the incident occurred sometime over the weekend.

Investigation

West Midlands Police said they were not looking for anybody else in connection with the incident, but that they were looking into family background and conducting background inquiries.

The main line of inquiry centred on the possibility that Peter Stafford stabbed his wife and children to death before taking his own life.

Discovery and scene access

Police said they had been alerted by a relative who raised the alarm when he could not gain entry to the house.

Two weeks after the deaths, the children’s grandfather could get into the house and the bodies were found by police.

Arrest

There was no arrest mentioned.

Trial

There was no trial mentioned.

Sentencing

There was no sentencing mentioned.

Appeals

There were no appeals mentioned.

Outcome

Peter Stafford, aged 30, was found hanged on an upstairs landing on the same day the bodies were discovered.

Police opened an inquest, and it was adjourned into the deaths by Birmingham Coroner Dr Richard Whittington.

Aftermath

A funeral took place for the family who died in what police believed was a “tragic” domestic killing.

More than 150 mourners attended the funeral, including relatives and police officers.

The Rev Peter Babington, assistant priest at St James the Great Church in Shirley, near Birmingham, told mourners not to look for an explanation for what had happened or seek to blame anyone for the killings.

The Rev Peter Babington told mourners: “None of us can really imagine what leads anyone to take the lives of their family and themselves,”

The Rev Peter Babington said: “Many people are, I know, feeling a deep anger about what happened, but in this I think we must take our lead from the immediate family, whose wishes from the first have been that Helen, Pete, Kellie, Dan and Joe should be together now.”

The Rev Peter Babington said: “It is heart-breaking to see these five coffins together, but it is also a sign to all of us to look with compassion and not with blame on this tragedy.”

The priest said that “Helen and Peter lived for their children” and that they were “their whole world and nothing else mattered.”

The Rev Peter Babington said: “Helen and Peter lived for their children,”

The Rev Peter Babington said: “They were their whole world and nothing else mattered.”

The Rev Peter Babington said: “They were a very happy family so it is with an almost unbearable sense of love that we remember them, as we face their tragic loss.”

The priest described Helen Stafford as “happy and friendly” and Peter Stafford as someone “who was always smiling”, easy-going and willing to help others.

The Rev Peter Babington described Mrs Stafford as: “happy and friendly”,

The Rev Peter Babington described Mr Stafford as: “who was always smiling”,

The five coffins were all topped with flowers and were taken away from the church in three hearses.

The funeral service lasted 45 minutes and was followed by a private service at a nearby crematorium.

The massacre was blamed on money worries and depression suffered by Mr Stafford.

Other details

Neighbours said:

• Bernadette Colfer said: “They were a very nice respectable couple and the children were lovely.”
• Mark Colfer said: “They were lovely little children, a little girl and two boys, and they appeared to be a happy family.”
• Mark Colfer also said: “I can't believe it, I saw the man only on Saturday.”
• A neighbour who declined to be named said: “They were good people who cared about each other. It's a terrible shock,”
• The named neighbour also said they had babysat twice for the couple’s youngest child.
• The unnamed neighbour said: “The little boy was lovely. They were beautiful children and it's terribly sad.”
• The neighbour said the couple worked together in their own cleaning business.

A relative raised the alarm when he could not gain entry to the house.

Post mortem examinations were to be held on Tuesday.