Devizes shooting victim was worried about partner's mental state (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Devizes shooting victim was worried about partner's mental state

8:18am Thursday 7th March 2013 in News By Lewis Cowen

Vicky Rose had become seriously concerned about the mental state of her boyfriend Bill Dowling in the weeks leading up to the incident on Saturday when the couple were shot dead.

Mrs Rose’s friend and neighbour Sarah Edwards said Mrs Rose, of White Horse Way, Devizes,  had confided in her her continuing exasperation at the depression Mr Dowling had been suffering from since the death of his mother last year.

Mother-of-two Mrs Edwards said: “Vicky said Bill had been very depressed and it was beginning to get her down. She said she didn’t think they had anything in common any more.”

The couple broke up at Christmas but had been getting back together.

Mrs Edwards said: “Last Thursday or Friday I was driving into town and Bill’s car passed me going the other way, with Vicky at the wheel. That was the last time I saw her. On Saturday morning I came back from the gym and my husband said that something had been going on next door. I said I hoped Vicky was all right.

“Then I had a phone message from a friend of the family, Pete Warren, an ex-policeman who lives in Sydney, Australia. He said he had had an email from the Wiltshire Police Federation saying that Bill and Vicky had been shot.

“We were devastated. Vicky was a wonderful person, smiling, kind and very chatty. She was always asking how my two children were getting on. She had two boys herself, and Jonathan lived with her. I never saw her grumpy and she lived for her sons.

“She was made redundant from the Ministry of Defence, I think, last year and she had applied for a new job doing a similar thing. She was very nervous about the interview and so excited when the got the job. She was due to start mid-March.

“I can’t imagine what must have been going through her mind during those last few minutes.

“She must have been terrified. She didn’t deserve to die like that.”

Vicky  Rose was born in Old Town, Swindon, the daughter of a police officer.

She and her family moved with his job and lived in Bradford on Avon, Salisbury and Swindon before ending up in Devizes. She lived in the town for 14 years.

She leaves two sons, Johnathan, 32, and Matthew 30. Her mother Sheila Eynon, who is widowed, now lives in Somerset.

Mrs Rose worked at the Ministry of Defence in Tidworth as a civil servant for 15 years and left in 2012.

Her family said she loved gardening, collecting furniture, especially anything shabby chic, holidays, and spending time with her
family and friends.

Her family said: “Mum was sadly taken away from us on Saturday. Words cannot describe how the family are feeling with this loss, for such a caring person and for anyone that knew her or had any contact with her, would know how she was always willing to help and chat to anyone.

“We have been so overwhelmed with messages of support in such a difficult time. We know how shocked people must be in hearing this sad news and still it doesn’t seem quite real.”