Man arrested over father's murder (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Man arrested over father's murder

8:35am Tuesday 15th May 2007 in Swindon By Raeanne Nightingale

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering his pensioner father.

Police were called to the victim's home in Westlea at lunchtime yesterday. Officers received a report of a disturbance at the house in Whittington Road shortly before 12.30pm.

They found a 70-year-old man, who was confirmed dead a short while later and soon after his 45-year-old son was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Police are not looking for any weapons in connection with the death.

The son was taken to Gablecross police station where he was being questioned last night. The house in Whittington Road was sealed off and crime scene investigators spent the day there yesterday. A Home Office pathologist was also called in.

The house was watched by police overnight and a further examination of the property will take place today.

A blue Rover 200 remains parked outside the semi-detached property, which is not far from Westlea Primary School.

Whittington Road residents said they were shocked and frightened by the events in their perfect street'.

Mary Giles, 82, who lives just a few doors away, said: "It's frightening. It's shocking because it's normally very quiet.

"I don't hear anything anyway because I sit in the back but I didn't know anything about this until I saw all the police outside.

"I've lived here for a few years and we've had nothing like this. We have had nothing out of the ordinary before."

David Brown, 30, of Kudos Fencing, was working on a near-by house when he saw the drama unfold.

"I was just unloading some materials and I saw paramedics race round into the street," he said.

"I didn't think anything of it at first, I thought someone had had a heart attack or something.

"Then there was a riot wagon and all sorts turned up.

The police were knocking on everybody's doors and they asked if we had seen anything or heard anything."

Alex Kinloch, 17, who lives in the street, said: "It's normally alright round here. I'm surprised this has happened."

One woman, who did not want to be named, said: "I saw the police cars when I was going out and thought gosh' but there was no ambulance so I thought nobody had been hurt.

"It's absolutely quiet round here. A flowerpot got taken from outside my house last year and that was the first thing in nearly 25 years that I've been here.

"We've never had any trouble before, it's an absolutely perfect street."

Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone who may have information about the incident to contact them by calling Det Supt James Vaughan on 0845 408 7000 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.

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