Fordingbridge killings - Was debt to blame? (From Daily Echo)

Fordingbridge killings - Was debt to blame?

11:08am Wednesday 28th July 2010 in News By Miranda Robertson

FINANCIAL problems may have led a Salisbury lorry driver to slaughter his entire family in a tragedy that has rocked the country.

The bodies of 31-year-old nursery owner Vicki Case and her daughters, Phoebe, two, and 18-month-old Nereya, were found at their home in Fordingbridge on Monday. They had been stabbed to death.

The body of Andrew Case, 33, worked for Downton-based haulage firm Doccombe European Ltd for the past three years, was found hanging in the stairwell.

As police try to piece together what drove a man described by his co-workers as a “loyal, honourable and charitable man” to such an act of desperation, the community in which they lived has been struggling to come to terms with the horror of what happened.

Neighbour Alayna Brooks, 53, went into the house at Provost Street on Monday morning after Mrs Case’s mother, Linda Haskell, ran into the street after discovering the bodies of her daughter and grandchildren screaming “they’re all dead. My babies are all dead.”

Ms Brooks said: “It was the most appalling thing I have ever lived through.

“They seemed like the happiest couple on earth – so loved-up. If I had a marriage, I would have wanted their marriage. They seemed like the perfect family.”

As more details emerge in the wake of the killings, it appears that Mr Case and his wife had been struggling with financial problems. They had recently moved to a smaller home and it is believed Mr Case may have been facing bankruptcy.

He had filed an alternative to bankruptcy, known as an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA), at Salisbury County Court in 2006.

The arrangement, which usually lasts a period of about five years, is still listed as current.

An IVA requires a person to pay back as much of their debt as they can afford, after which the balance is written off.

Unconfirmed media reports have also suggested that Mrs Case, who ran St Aldhelm’s Pre-School in Sandleheath, had recently been the victim of a credit card theft in which £7,000 had been spent in her name.

This week Mr Case’s co-workers at Doccombe spoke of their shock and horror and described him as a “model employee”.

A statement from managing director John Underhill said: “What happened is incomprehensible. Andy and Vicki were a beautiful couple. Like so many others in this day and age, they fought against the pressures of modern society to maintain a happy, respectable and responsible family life.

“The directors and staff of Doccombe European offer their heartfelt sympathy to the families of Andy and Vicki.

“We hope their God will give them the strength and understanding to overcome the tragedy that has befallen us.”

Her husband was planning to compete in the New Forest Marathon in September, raising money for Salisbury District Hospital Stars Appeal.

Hampshire Police said they were continuing to investigate the background and circumstances that led to the four deaths.

For an in-depth report, see this week's Journal.