Father stabbed to death aboard train was on birthday trip
Lee Pomeroy, 51, wanted to spend some quality time with his son but was stabbed to death on a train
A FATHER stabbed to death on a train was on his way to London to celebrate his birthday with his 14-year-old son, his family revealed last night.
Lee Pomeroy would have been 52 yesterday, but died on Friday afternoon when he was stabbed in the neck during a brief argument with a fellow passenger on a train in Surrey.
Mr Pomeroy, an IT consultant, who lived with his wife, Svetlana, and teenage son in Guildford, was described as an honourable man who was always willing to help those in trouble.
In a statement, his family said: “Lee took his son on a trip to London hoping to spend some quality time with him, which was cut short by an horrific and pointless attack.”
The statement went on: “Lee would have had his birthday today but did not get to see his presents. He was an honest, bright person, who loved music very much, he knew history and art and he was a bachelor of science in maths.
“He was a devoted family man and did everything for his family. He was an honourable man and would always help somebody who was in trouble. He was a loving husband and father, he will be deeply missed by all his family.”
Mr Pomeroy and his Russian-born wife married in Sheffield in 2000 and lived in London before moving to Guildford in 2012.
Last night a family friend said Mrs Pomeroy was too upset to comment, adding: “It is too fresh. It was in front of their 14-year-old son.” Neighbours described the couple as quiet and polite and said Mr Pomeroy was clearly devoted to his son. The teenager was last night being supported by specially trained police officers and was said to be deeply traumatised.
Police said that Mr Pomeroy lost his life after an argument with another passenger as they boarded a Waterloo bound train at Guildford London Road station quickly escalated into “extraordinary violence”.
A manhunt was launched on Friday afternoon after the suspect fled the scene. Yesterday a 35-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder at an address in Farnham, 15 miles from where the stabbing took place. A 27-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
WHEN Lee Pomeroy and his teenage son boarded the 1.01pm train from Guildford London Road to Waterloo, they were going for a trip to London for some “quality time” together.
But by the time the train reached its next stop – only four minutes later – the 51-year-old IT consultant lay dying from a stab wound to the neck.
The father of one had exchanged words with another man as they boarded the train, and almost immediately the argument escalated into extreme violence.
British Transport Police (BTP) confirmed that the victim and his attacker were not known to one another and said the attack had been unprovoked.
The suspect fled the train when it pulled into Clandon station at 1.05pm, leading to a manhunt across Surrey.
A man and woman were arrested early yesterday morning at an address in Farnham and were being questioned in connection with the incident.
The man was arrested on suspicion of murder while the 27-year-old woman, who was said by locals to be a mother of one, was being questioned on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Neighbours in the same block said they had experienced problems with anti-social behaviour from the couple in the past and had reported the matter to the police.
Grant Christy, who lives in the same block, said: “At six they smashed the door down, woke me up immediately, obviously.
“I heard the police shouting, ‘put your hands up, turn around’, all that sort of thing and then it went quiet.
“They led her out first with the kid, barefoot, put her in a police wagon over there, then a few minutes later they pulled him out handcuffed.”
A second resident: “They have only just moved in. Just a few months ago. He wasn’t there to begin with, he moved in after she did.”
A Surrey Police spokesman said: “We attended that address on Nov 29. We’ve had other calls since. There is an ongoing dispute between neighbours. It’s unrelated to the BTP investigation.”
Revealing more details about what had unfolded on the lunchtime commuter service, BTP Asst Chief Consta- ble Sean O’Callaghan said the incident had taken less than five minutes and appeared to have erupted following a “verbal discussion”.
He said: “That discussion lasted three to four minutes, it moved through one carriage from where they first boarded into another carriage, and that argument escalated to the unprovoked violent attack that sadly resulted in the death.”
Mr Pomeroy, who would have celebrated his 52nd birthday yesterday, had planned the day with his son in order to spend some “quality time” with him, according to his family. Mr Pomeroy’s wife, Svetlana, was said to be too upset to comment and that the boy was said to have been left deeply traumatised by what he had witnessed.
It is understood Mr Pomeroy moved away from his son as the row escalated but then his attacker produced a knife and Mr Pomeroy received a fatal wound to his neck.
After his attacker fled at Clandon, the train moved off before the alarm could be raised, and it was only when it arrived at Horsley station four minutes later that police and ambulance crews were alerted.
By the time paramedics arrived Mr Pomeroy had lost a huge amount of blood and suffered a fatal heart attack.
A female passenger, who asked not to be named, said: “There was a lot of blood everywhere in the carriage. I don’t think the poor chap stood a chance. The police who were here first started to give him CPR but it was apparently too late to save him and he died while the train was in the station.”
Officers from Surrey Police joined their colleagues from British Transport Police as a huge search was mounted for the killer.
The hunt was initially concentrated on the fields and lanes around Clandon after several villagers reported seeing a suspicious-looking man wandering around.
Helicopters carrying heat seeking cameras and specially trained sniffer dogs joining in the search, but as darkness fell the suspect remained at large.
Locals were warned not to approach the suspect, who was described as a black man, around 6ft tall, with a bald head and beard wearing a black tracksuit and white trainers.
The search continued throughout the night but it was scaled back at around 6am yesterday when police announced they had made two arrests in Farnham, around 15 miles away from where the stabbing took place.
The suspects continued to be questioned last night.
‘We attended that address on Nov 29. We’ve had other calls since. There is a dispute between neighbours’
‘There was a lot of blood everywhere in the carriage. I don’t think the poor chap stood a chance’