Father arrested over death of eight-year-old had lost his job

THE father accused of stabbing his eight-year-old daughter to death had just been made redundant, friends have said.

Bill Billingham, 54, is said to have undergone surgery and is fighting for his life after he was found with stab wounds at the home where his daughter Mylee had been murdered.

He had separated from her mother, Tracey Taundry, 33, several years ago, friends claimed last night, but it was said that he had recently lost his job as a factory worker.

Miss Taundry was being comforted by family after finding her daughter covered in blood at the one-bedroom flat in the Brownhills area of Walsall, West Mids, on Saturday.

A family member said that she was “too shell-shocked” to talk about what had happened.

Mr Billingham – whose brother Mark is an instructor on the Channel 4 show SAS: Who Dares Wins and has acted as a bodyguard for Brad Pitt – has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. He had posted a picture of her smiling in bed eating pizza just an hour before he allegedly stabbed her to death.

His Facebook posts show that he doted on his daughter, who he called “moo”, and he frequently said that she would be a “star” with her singing.

Mr Billingham spoke of how he was getting his daughter a karaoke set.

A family friend, who asked not to be named, said: “He looked after the kids and always seemed like a loving father and a family man, so it’s just so out of character – I can’t believe what’s happened.

“He seemed like such a doting father and a hard worker. I don’t know if he was depressed or anything like that.

“She just was such a lovely little girl – I don’t understand how this could happen.”

West Midlands Police say Mr Billingham is yet to be questioned due to his condition.