The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
‘I don’t think I will ever understand’
Murdered toddler’s dad tells of his pain four years on
A tragic Fife father said he is haunted by the final moments of his murdered daughter’s young life.
Thomas Haldane Jr will make his annual trip to little Madison Horn’s grave today, the fourth anniversary of her death.
The two-year-old was killed by her mother’s former partner, Kevin Park, after he was left to look after her in her Kelty home.
Mr Haldane said: “There are thoughts that just keep going through my head.
“What was her last words? Was it ‘dad’? Or ‘gran’? Or ‘help’? Was she scared? I just don’t know and I don’t think I will ever understand.
“My mum lost her daughter, my sister, to cancer, and when Madison was born, she didn’t replace Denise but she brought a wee bit of comfort back. When she was killed, that just shattered our whole lives.”
The father of tragic Fife toddler Madison Horn has paid tribute to his daughter as they mark the fourth anniversary of her murder.
Thomas Haldane Jr, from Lochore, told how he is still haunted by the final moments of the two-year-old’s life. She was beaten to death in 2014.
The 26-year-old told how his happy daughter loved nothing more than going to the beach and wearing her wellies.
However, he admits every day remains a struggle for him and his parents, Alexis and Thomas Sr, as they battle to come to terms with the manner of her death.
Her killer, Kevin Park, was jailed for a minimum of 22 years after being found guilty of murdering the toddler, leaving her with 65 separate injuries.
He had been babysitting her at her home in Kelty while her mother – his former partner, Ann Marie White – was on a night out.
Thomas Jr yesterday said: “We’ll be going up to Maddie’s grave on Friday to lay flowers like we do every year. It doesn’t get any easier.
“We just have to take it day by day. Some days you just can’t concentrate. It’s hard and there are thoughts that just keep going through my head.
“What was her last words? Was it dad? Or gran? Or help? Was she scared? I just don’t know and I don’t think I will ever understand.
“It would have been different if she had died of an illness but not the way she went.
“She couldn’t even defend herself. She was just learning her words too.
“She was just starting to put her wee sentences together. She laughed, giggled and would run around shouting ‘Dad’ and ‘Di’”.
“She loved her wellies. It would be the height of summer and she’d still be wearing them.
“She had the most beautiful eyes and you just fell in love with her instantly.”
He added: “My mum lost her daughter, my sister, to cancer and when Madison was born, she didn’t replace
She had the most beautiful eyes and you just fell in love with her instantly Father of Madison Horn pays tribute to tragic toddler
Denise but she brought a wee bit of comfort back.
“When she was killed, that just shattered our whole lives.
“She was happy chappy – she did not deserve what happened to her. She was defenceless.
“Even though he’s got a long sentence, we’ve got to go through this for the rest of our lives.”
The family will today lay flowers on Madison’s grave, as they have done every year since her killing in 2014.