Two held after boy is stabbed to death
Police began a murder inquiry today after residents described how a man stabbed two children before going to his local pub for a pint.
A four-year-old boy died and a 14-year-old girl was seriously injured in the incident at a house in Slaithwaite, Huddersfield. Officers said they were called to an address at 1pm today.
The boy was taken to Huddersfield Royal infirmary but died a short time later. The girl was taken to the same hospital with stab wounds to her chest and stomach. Her condition was described as serious.
Police said they were treating the death of the boy as murder and added that two men had been arrested in connection with the incident.
Officers searched for the murder weapon at the Silent Woman pub, at a funeral home on the other side of the road and at a house.
Jez Pierce, who was in the Silent Woman, said the man had walked in, ordered his pint and sat down with the other man later arrested by police.
“I went and sat with them. [The man] looked awful, really pale and washed out and he and [the other man] were speaking in hushed tones,” Mr Pierce said.
He said the alleged killer had confessed to the crime and his friend had called the police.
“The friend later said: ‘I think we should go for a wander. So they supped up and went out, but [the man] didn’t know the police were already after him,” he added. “I have known him since we were kids - we used to work together. It’s an absolute shock, I just can’t believe what has happened. It’s usually a quiet place.
“He is a sound man, very sociable. I saw him last week and he was fine. We were in the pub having a laugh.”
Neighbour Paul O’Shea said he saw the man leave the scene of the attack, which was described yesterday as a well-presented mid-terrace property.
“I saw it happen, and the guy did a runner. It was inside the house,” he said.
“Police have cordoned off both sides of the road, forensic teams are at work and a helicopter has been circling. This is a quiet little place and the murder has shocked everyone,” another neighbour said.
Other neighbours were told to stay in their homes as the police investigation gathered pace.
“We are very shocked,” said Mr O’Shea. “It happened right across the road from us. Seven or eight houses have been blocked off and the residents are not being allowed out.
“The first we heard about anything was when the police arrived. It’s a terrible thing to happen.”
Marjorie Sykes, another local resident, said: “The police have come round and sealed off the road. I wanted to take my car out and go to church this afternoon, but they told me I had to stay inside the house.”
Tonight much of the area was sealed off as forensic officers continued their search for clues.
Slaithwaite was the setting for the ITV rural drama Where the Heart Is, and according to locals the Silent Woman pub, where the suspect went for a drink, has also featured in the show. The programme ended in 2006.
