Horror at Matalan
Shop couple killed in street
PRETTY Zoe Morgan and her boyfriend Lee Simmons were knifed to death at dawn outside a branch of Matalan where they had both worked the night shift. A man was being questioned last night.
TWO shop staff were stabbed to death outside the store they worked in.
Window dresser Zoe Morgan and shop assistant Lee Simmons were butchered at dawn as they left a branch of Matalan where they had worked an overnight shift together.
The couple had been going out for four months after meeting at the store in Cardiff ’s Queen Street shopping centre.
Lee, 33, had dubbed Zoe, 21, “my Tinkerbell” on his Facebook page.
Last night a 20-year-old man was being questioned by police in connection with their deaths.
The pair were found lying dead in pools of blood at 5.50am yesterday.
The suspect was arrested just 25 minutes later at his home 12 miles away in Castleton, near Newport.
Police said he knew the victims and it was not a random attack.
They said post mortems would be held to confirm causes of death but both victims had stab wounds.
A colleague at the shop said: “This is a terrible tragedy.
“They’d only started seeing each other and made a lovely couple.
“We’re all in bits. No-one could face opening the store today.’’
Zoe lived with her parents Mark, 49, and Julie, 48. She studied fashion at the University of South Wales before landing the job at the shop in June.
A neighbour said: “She was so excited about starting work. Everything was going so well for her.
“Zoe went off to work as normal but never came home. She was a beautiful girl, full of fun.”
The family had just returned from a holiday in Ibiza.
Lee had worked at the store since it opened in October 2014. His widowed mum Thelma, 68, who he lived with, was being comforted by friends.
Chief Supt Belinda Davies said: “This incident occurred in the main shopping area in the heart of the city and it has no doubt shocked the community of Cardiff.
“We have a suspect in custody and we are not looking for anybody else.
“We are in the very early stages of the investigation but we believe the suspect was known to the victims and it was not a random assault.’’
Matalan chief executive Jason Hargreaves said all the store’s workers were being offered support.
“We are working with the police in their investigations,’’ he said.
“We extend our condolences to the families of everyone involved.’’