Dad who killed ex-girlfriend, son was released by police just days after arrest over 'kill threat' (Holbrook, England, United Kingdom)

The dad, who for some reason is only identified as ANDREW, was arrested JUST LAST WEEK for threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend, the mother of their 23 month-old son. But the authorities let him go. And now we have the horrifying yet utterly predictable result: Mom and the little boy have been stabbed to death.

Maybe we could send this news clipping to the judge in Salem, Massachusetts. See the post below.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1283700/Mother-Rachael-Slack-son-murdered-frenzied-knife-attack-ex-lover.html

Father who killed ex-partner and son was released by police just days after arrest over 'kill threat'
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 2:43 PM on 3rd June 2010

A father who murdered his ex and their toddler son had been arrested last week after threatening to kill her, a friend said today.

Rachael Slack, 38, and her 23-month-old son Auden were stabbed to death at their country cottage in the rural Derbyshire village of Holbrook yesterday morning.

The 44-year-old man, known only as Andrew, then turned the knife on himself.

Today, Sahiqa Raja, a friend of Miss Slack's, said the mother had tried to help the boy's father as he battled depression.

She said: ‘This tragedy has happened because this person was mentally unstable.

'This has been going on for three years and she has highlighted it to the authorities.

‘He has had depression for a very long time and she has tried to help him.

‘It's a tragedy that this happened and it certainly could have been stopped. This person should have been sectioned.

'He was arrested last week for threatening to kill her and he has been let out to do just that.

‘Someone, somewhere is accountable for what has happened. Something should have been done.’

The bloody assault was witness by neighbour Norma Way.

The 71-year-old pensioner told how she saw the mother screaming for help from the window of her three-storey cottage.

Mrs Way said: ‘She looked out of the side window which is front of my drive and I heard her screaming in terror.

‘I was the one who called the police. She started shouting to me 'Norma, Norma, call the police'.
‘The man, I couldn't see, but he had raised his arm. I went to the front door but it was locked. When the police arrived they both went in but by then the screaming had stopped.’

Today there was still a police cordon around the Victorian cottage and Ms Slack's black Renault Scenic, which had a baby seat in the back.

The front door of the house was on its hinges while a kitchen window was open, splintered from when police had tried to break in.

There was a steel climbing frame in the well-kept back garden and police tape around the patio entrance to the house which is lined with well looked after flower beds.

Police said they were not searching for anybody else in connection with the murder of 38-year-old Ms Slack and her toddler son, named after the poet W H Auden. The man is believed to be the child's father.

They discovered the estranged couple dead yesterday morning at the cottage after being alerted by Ms Way. The toddler was critically injured and taken to Royal Derby Hospital by air ambulance but later died.

Ms Slack is believed to have recently moved to the area after living as an ex-pat in Spain.

Police said they expected to name all three, who were found in a cottage in Well Yard, once they had been formally identified.

The cottage is tucked back from the main road that runs through the picturesque village.

Lined with trees and well-kept gardens, Holbrook is in a conservation area in the heart of Amber Valley, Derbyshire.

Last night, neighbours described the deaths as a ‘terrible tragedy’.

Andrew West, 52, landlord of the Spotted Cow, said the woman was a regular visitor to the pub.

He said: ‘She was intelligent and obviously educated. She said she had looked at a couple of places and then settled on one here.’

His wife Fiona West-Hunt added: ‘All the police cars came around 11am-11.30am, about three ambulances and a helicopter.

‘They just turned up out of the blue, loads of sirens and everything, which doesn't happen here. It's a very small, sleepy place.

‘Somebody was walking their dog past and all they saw was somebody bringing a child out of a house and into an ambulance.

‘Another ambulance arrived and didn't go for about half an hour.’

Neighbour Allan Gilbert described Ms Slack as ‘jovial’. He said: ‘We knew absolutely nothing about what happened until the cavalry arrived.

‘The woman lived there with the baby. They hadn't been there long but would say hello. We didn't hear anything and we live only ten yards away. It sounds like one of those domestic tragedies.’

A spokeswoman for Derbyshire Constabulary said: 'Police can confirm that the man found dead in Holbrook yesterday had been arrested last week.

'As a result of this contact, the matter has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.'

Assistant Chief Constable Dee Collins added: ‘Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of those who have died today.

‘We are conducting a detailed inquiry and until we can be sure of what happened at Well Yard it would be unfair to speculate about the circumstances surrounding these deaths.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1283700/Mother-Rachael-Slack-son-murdered-frenzied-knife-attack-ex-lover.html#ixzz0pnojPAa1