No probe into the police handling of tragedy
Father and two sons found dead in home
WATCHDOGS are not investigating Leicestershire Police over their handling of the Welwyn Road tragedy which saw two children and their father die.
The bodies of five-yearold Matthew Stokes, brother Adam, 11, and dad David, 43, were found in their Hinckley home on November 2 last year.
Leicestershire Police were called to a “disturbance” at 9.30pm the previous day where they found a man and a woman barricaded inside their home.
Negotiators and specialist staff were drafted in but they could not gain access to the property.
In the early hours of the morning, mum Sally Stokes ran out of the home injured.
Officers entered and found David dead in the front bedroom.
During a search of the semi-detached property, they also found the bodies of the two children.
The incident was referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), as required by law, given that officers had been in contact with both the man and the woman throughout the evening.
But a spokesman for the IPCC said: “A referral from Leicestershire Police was received by the IPCC in relation to this tragic incident.
“Following assessment mined that a detailed we deterit should be sent back to the force to carry out a local investigation.”
Leicestershire Police said their internal investigation is ongoing and did not comment further.
A post-mortem examination found David Stokes died of a stab wound to the chest.
But it returned inconclusive results for the children and further tests will need to be carried out before their inquest resumes on February 9 in Loughborough.
Sally Stokes was taken to hospital following the incident and was discharged a week later. No details of her injuries were released.
Leicestershire Police said nobody has been arrested and they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
Lord Willy Bach, Leicestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, previously praised officers for their “courage, dedication and professionalism” in dealing with the “shocking and tragic” ordeal.
The devastating news rocked the community and saw hundreds of people come together to mourn the loss of the St Mary’s Primary School pupils at a vigil of light and prayers.
At the vigil for the family, Reverend John Whit- taker said: “The whole community has been saddened and shocked by the deaths of the two children and the father. We don’t do this sort of thing very often which is good.
“But this sort of service is to face those feelings of pain and sadness in this holy place. Over the last two days we have been staggered at the sheer quality of care and friendship shown in the community.”