'How can anyone harm a kid?' Locals' grief after deaths of woman and two children, as police launch murder probe
15 December 2022, 16:10 | Updated: 15 December 2022, 23:27
Locals have spoken of their shock after police launched a murder probe after the deaths of a woman and two children in Kettering.
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Officers rushed to Petherton Court at 11.15am to find the three, including a boy, believed to be six, and a girl, believed to be four, with serious injuries.
The woman died at the scene while the children died after being taken to hospital.
A 52-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and is in custody. Officers are not looking for anyone else.
One woman who lives across the road from where the murders happened said she had gone out to see a big crowd of police, including armed officers, when she came back.
"We're all pretty close. It's such a shock." she told the Mail Online. "At the time I was looking after my sons dog and he managed to open the doors and ran down the road.
"When I got back the police and ambulances were here. It's terrible.
"There was an helicopter. I had to go down to the centre to get the dog. By the time I was back, there was all this. It all happened in 15 minutes. I thought, "what's happened?"
She added: |There were two armed police I could see. They were all there. I imagine they'd have to with it being a knife or whatever.'I thought they were all old people in the flats over there.
"I might have met the children if they had come over and met the dog at the gate.
"I mean it's Christmas. It's like the lake with the little boys who died. It's all so sad.
"It's a quiet area really. My grandkids are 10 and it hits home."
Another woman said: "It's terrible, isn't it. Two bl***y kids and a mother.'All the school kids walked past the flat earlier as well as they went to church.
"It's ridiculous. We never used to see anything around here, nothing at all.
"Especially kids. How can anyone kill kids. There's no telling what time it happened, either.
"How can anybody harm a kid, especially so close to Christmas.'
Superintendent Steve Freeman, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "There are no words to describe how upsetting this incident is but I want to reassure the public that we have a team of detectives working on the case, absolutely determined to get justice for this woman and the two children.
"The man we have arrested is currently being questioned by detectives in custody however anyone with any information is encouraged to contact us, either by calling 101 or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
"We understand that the local community, and indeed many people across the country, will be shocked by this event.
"It is a desperately sad incident and I want to be absolutely clear on our unwavering commitment in establishing what has happened here and in seeking justice for this woman and these young children."
Post-mortems are due to take place in the coming days. Officers are set to patrol the area to reassure residents and answering questions.
