# 271: Tracey & Pierce Wilkinson

An episode of [Morbidology](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1463979546), 26 Aug 2024, 52 min.

Audio: https://prefix.up.audio/s/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/s.gum.fm/s-610c47a4222ada0024acb2d8/pscrb.fm/rss/p/prfx.byspotify.com/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/2IMk17EdnEqyRhJTIpIU/claritaspod.com/measure/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/60895058/morbidology_271_tracey_and_pierce_wilkinson.mp3

The tranquillity of Norton Road in Stourbridge was abruptly disrupted on the morning of March 30, 2017, by a loud crash. Residents peered out of their windows to find a Land Rover had collided with a stone wall. From the wreckage, a man emerged, covered in blood—though none of it was his own. SPONSORS - Mochi Health: If you’re on a journey to lose weight, it’s time to take a holistic approach with Mochi Health. Use the code “MORBIDOLOGY” to get $40 off at: https://joinmochi.com/ Destination Unknown: Forget about rushing to your destination—this game turns any drive into a spontaneous adventure. Order at: https://destinationunknowngame.com/ SHOW NOTES - https://morbidology.com/morbidology-the-podcast-271-tracey-pierce-wilkinson/ PATREON - https://www.patreon.com/morbidology YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/morbidology Audio Credit: Epidemic Sound Evening of Chaos - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Empty Reflections - ErikMMusic - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgq4SPKHlyI A Mothers Sacrifice - OurMusicBox - https://ourmusicbox.com/ Dark Tranquility - Anno Domini Beats - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6mBav72Ak Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/morbidology--3527306/support.

## Transcript

[0:00] Speaker 1: M h.
[0:34] Speaker 2: I opened the back door, and as I did it,
[0:36] Speaker 2: he jumped out from behind the wall on a wall
[0:40] Speaker 2: in the kitchen, all dressed in black.
[0:54] Speaker 3: StarBridge is a historic market town in the West Midlands, England.
[0:58] Speaker 3: The town's history did back to medieval times, with its
[1:02] Speaker 3: name derived from the Old English star meaning strong and
[1:07] Speaker 3: bridge referring to a bridge over the River Star. By
[1:12] Speaker 3: the thirteenth century, StarBridge had established itself as a market town,
[1:16] Speaker 3: benefiting from its strategic location near the river, which facilitated
[1:21] Speaker 3: trade and commerce. Starbridge's transformation into industrial hub began in
[1:27] Speaker 3: the seventeenth century, when it became renowned for its glassmaking industry.
[1:33] Speaker 3: The availability of local resources such as farclay and coal
[1:37] Speaker 3: attracted skilled glassmakers from France, who brought with them advanced techniques.
[1:44] Speaker 3: In the nineteenth and twentieth century, StarBridge continued to expand
[1:48] Speaker 3: with improvements in infrastructure, including the introduction of the Stourbridge Canal,
[1:53] Speaker 3: which enhanced transportation and trade. Today, StarBridge retains much of
[1:59] Speaker 3: its ex storktire harm with a blend of old and
[2:02] Speaker 3: new architecture. The town center features a mix of independent shops,
[2:08] Speaker 3: cafes and markets, while the surrounding areas offer scenic beauty
[2:12] Speaker 3: and green spaces, such as Mary Stephens Park. Norton Road
[2:18] Speaker 3: is a very desirable place to live in the town,
[2:21] Speaker 3: just a stone's throw from the park. It's made up
[2:24] Speaker 3: of larger homes with well manicured front gardens and private driveways.
[2:30] Speaker 3: It was just after eight a m. On the thirtieth
[2:32] Speaker 3: of March two thousand and seventeen when a woman living
[2:36] Speaker 3: on Norton Road was startled by a loud crash that
[2:40] Speaker 3: shattered the stillness. Her heart raised as she rushed to
[2:44] Speaker 3: the window, her mind scrambling to make sense of the
[2:48] Speaker 3: sudden commotion. She pulled back the curtain and was met
[2:53] Speaker 3: by the side of a land rover, its front end
[2:56] Speaker 3: crumpled against the stone wall outside of her home. The
[3:00] Speaker 3: impacted scent debraze scattering across the pavement and road, indicating
[3:04] Speaker 3: that it had been driving at a high speed. As
[3:08] Speaker 3: she stood there trying to process what had happened, the
[3:11] Speaker 3: wail of sirens grew louder, echoing through the neighborhood. The
[3:16] Speaker 3: flashing lights of police cars illuminated the street within seconds.
[3:22] Speaker 3: Her attention was then drawn back to the land rover
[3:25] Speaker 3: as its door creaked open and a man stumbled out.
[3:29] Speaker 3: He appeared dazed and disoriented, his movement slow as he
[3:34] Speaker 3: was trying to regain his balance and bearings. He appeared
[3:38] Speaker 3: to be relatively young, somewhere in his early twenties, with
[3:42] Speaker 3: brown hair and a baby face. Within seconds, the man
[3:48] Speaker 3: was surrounded by police. Greyhound Lane is a residential neighborhood
[4:07] Speaker 3: in Sturbridge, less than half a mile away from Norton Road.
[4:13] Speaker 3: It consists of mostly large detached homes with trees dotted
[4:16] Speaker 3: up and down the road. The Wilkinson family had lived
[4:21] Speaker 3: in their large Gothic style home called Rathmore Lodge for
[4:25] Speaker 3: the past ten years. It turned it into a family
[4:29] Speaker 3: home with a major refurbishment. Tracey and Peter Wilkinson had
[4:34] Speaker 3: two children together, thirteen year old Pierce an eighteen year
[4:37] Speaker 3: old Lydia. Pierce was a student at Redhill Schools in StarBridge,
[4:43] Speaker 3: while Lydia was in her first year at Bristol University.
[4:48] Speaker 3: Pierce had excelled in school and was described as a
[4:51] Speaker 3: thoughtful young man. He was passionate about his football team
[4:56] Speaker 3: West Bromwich Albion and was devoted to his Greyhounds dog Mandy.
[5:02] Speaker 3: The Wilkinson family was the epitome of a close knit
[5:05] Speaker 3: and loving household. Peter worked as the managing director of
[5:10] Speaker 3: Acid International, which was part of Hill and Smith Holdings.
[5:15] Speaker 3: The company manufactured safety barriers, and Peter had worked there
[5:19] Speaker 3: since two thousand and three. It was a role that
[5:22] Speaker 3: kept him busy, but also provided a comfortable life for
[5:25] Speaker 3: the family. Tracy was a step at home mother, keeping
[5:29] Speaker 3: the house in order and males on the table. She
[5:33] Speaker 3: had other things to keep her occupied as well. She
[5:37] Speaker 3: was a very compassionate woman and had worked in a
[5:40] Speaker 3: rehab center supporting people with drug and alcohol problems. She
[5:44] Speaker 3: had even been a ballroom dancing champion, but now all
[5:48] Speaker 3: of her time was devoted to her family. Her husband
[5:52] Speaker 3: Peter described her as a very stylish and elegant woman.
[5:57] Speaker 3: One of the Wilkinson family's favorite activits was walking their
[6:01] Speaker 3: beloved greyhound, Mandy. These walks were more than just a
[6:05] Speaker 3: daily chore. They were an opportunity for the Wilkinsons to connect,
[6:10] Speaker 3: enjoy nature, and share their thoughts. The side of the
[6:14] Speaker 3: family strolling through their neighborhood with Mandy trotting happily beside
[6:18] Speaker 3: them was a familiar one. Mandy had come from Hall
[6:22] Speaker 3: Green Retired Greyhound Trust, and she was a retired racer.
[6:28] Speaker 3: The chairman of the rescue, Tracy Parbury, said of the family, Peter,
[6:33] Speaker 3: Tracy and the children were great advocates for the trust
[6:36] Speaker 3: and showed what wonderful pets greyhounds are. Their weekends often
[6:40] Speaker 3: included visits to the local pub, the New Inn, where
[6:43] Speaker 3: they would have a meal or Tracy and Peter would
[6:45] Speaker 3: have a few drinks before walking home. Peter and Pearce
[6:49] Speaker 3: also had a special tradition of playing pool at another
[6:52] Speaker 3: local pub, the Greyhound Pub. When local recollected, they were
[6:58] Speaker 3: well known and liked by every one. No one had
[7:01] Speaker 3: a bad word to say about them. They were a
[7:04] Speaker 3: very charitable couple. They were good Somardans and Tracy had
[7:08] Speaker 3: a heart of gold. It was just in their nature.
[7:11] Speaker 3: They were just so kind. The family were known to
[7:15] Speaker 3: be friendly and welcoming, bringing in the bins and parcels
[7:18] Speaker 3: for their neighbors and always saying hello with a smile
[7:21] Speaker 3: on their faces. One neighbor recalled Tracy was a very
[7:26] Speaker 3: glamorous and well dressed woman. She was tall, dark and
[7:30] Speaker 3: thin and used to dance, not professionally, but to a
[7:34] Speaker 3: high level. She was very striking, but always very friendly.
[7:38] Speaker 3: She used to have a coffee and a glass of
[7:40] Speaker 3: wine with one of my neighbors who knew her better.
[7:43] Speaker 3: They came to a party at our house years ago,
[7:46] Speaker 3: so they were sociable. It had been a quiet morning
[7:56] Speaker 3: in StarBridge on the thirtieth of March twenty and seventeen.
[8:01] Speaker 3: As usual, there wasn't a lot of activity at the
[8:04] Speaker 3: police station, but just after eight a m. A nine
[8:08] Speaker 3: ninety nine call came in. It was from Peter Wilkinson.
[8:13] Speaker 3: He said that he had just returned home from walking
[8:15] Speaker 3: their dog, Manday when he was attacked. There was a
[8:19] Speaker 3: man in a balaklava in his home and he had
[8:22] Speaker 3: stobbed him several times. His breath was becoming fainter and fainter,
[8:28] Speaker 3: he said. The scene at the family's home was chaotic
[8:33] Speaker 3: as police and paramedics arrived in moments. The first sign
[8:38] Speaker 3: that something was amiss was noticed almost immediately. It was
[8:42] Speaker 3: Peter collapsed in the garden with blood pulling through his shirt.
[8:48] Speaker 3: The paramedics rushed over to him and found that he
[8:50] Speaker 3: had sustained stab wounds to his chest and back. As
[8:55] Speaker 3: he was rushed to hospital, police entered the home to
[8:58] Speaker 3: perform a sweep. Parametics followed close behind. The home was
[9:04] Speaker 3: eerily silent, other than the frantic shouts from the first responders.
[9:09] Speaker 3: As they found Tracy in the master bedroom. She was
[9:13] Speaker 3: in her bed, Her pillow, douve and sheet was saturated
[9:18] Speaker 3: in blood, and she was completely lifeless. It quickly became
[9:23] Speaker 3: apparent that she was far beyond life saving measures. She
[9:27] Speaker 3: had sustained seventeen stab wounds, some penetrating to a depth
[9:32] Speaker 3: of ten to fifteen centimeters. There were muddy footprints on
[9:36] Speaker 3: the bed, indicating that the killer had stood above Tracy
[9:39] Speaker 3: on the bed and stabbed her through her douve. Close
[9:44] Speaker 3: to her body lay a blood stained knife. As the
[9:47] Speaker 3: medical examiner was called, Police and paramedics continued through the
[9:51] Speaker 3: rest of the home. There was blood leading into Pierce's bedroom.
[10:00] Speaker 3: Police entered and they found Pierce on the floor. He
[10:05] Speaker 3: was crawling towards them, covered in blood and struggling to breathe.
[10:11] Speaker 3: Seconds later, Pierce collapsed and went into cardiac arrest. He
[10:16] Speaker 3: had been stabbed a total of eight times. His breath
[10:19] Speaker 3: was shallow and labored. The paramedics quickly sprung into action,
[10:25] Speaker 3: performing chess compressions and trying to stabilize Pierce. After a
[10:31] Speaker 3: couple of minutes, he was carefully lifted onto a stretcher
[10:35] Speaker 3: and placed into the ambulance. With sirens blazing, they raced
[10:40] Speaker 3: towards Birmingham Children's Hospital, all the while paramedics continued CPR
[10:46] Speaker 3: in the back of the ambulance. When Pears arrived at
[10:50] Speaker 3: the hospital, doctors could assess the situation. He had been
[10:56] Speaker 3: stabbed with such force that one of his lungs had collapsed.
[11:00] Speaker 3: Final cord had almost been completely severed. Tragically, not too
[11:05] Speaker 3: long after Pierce arrived at the hospital, he died from
[11:09] Speaker 3: the injuries, despite the best efforts of the ambulance staff
[11:12] Speaker 3: and hospital medics. As Pearce was pronounced dead, his father, Peter,
[11:18] Speaker 3: was fighting for his life over in Queen Elizabeth Hospital
[11:22] Speaker 3: in Birmingham. He was operated on for two incized wounds
[11:26] Speaker 3: in the abdomen and two in the bowel before he
[11:31] Speaker 3: awoke to find that his son and wife were dead.
[11:34] Speaker 3: The hunt was already on for the killer. As detectives
[11:47] Speaker 3: were assessing the scene of chaos at the family home,
[11:51] Speaker 3: they discovered that the family car was missing. Peter had
[11:55] Speaker 3: told them that he was stabbed as he entered the
[11:57] Speaker 3: home and the man in the ballot Clava had then
[12:00] Speaker 3: stolen the car. Police immediately set out in search of it.
[12:06] Speaker 3: They radioed the information to their colleagues, asking them to
[12:10] Speaker 3: be on the lookout for a land rover. Suddenly, a
[12:14] Speaker 3: patrol car reported the car was spotted nearby. A chase began,
[12:19] Speaker 3: with police cars waving through the residential neighborhoods with their
[12:23] Speaker 3: sirens blazing. The man driving the stolen vehicle sped recklessly
[12:29] Speaker 3: through the suburban neighborhoods, even ramming two police cars at
[12:33] Speaker 3: one point. In a desperate bid to escape, he swerved
[12:38] Speaker 3: onto the opposite side of the road, forcing cars onto
[12:41] Speaker 3: the pavement to avoid a head on collision. He then
[12:45] Speaker 3: mounted the pavement in a desperate bid to loose the police,
[12:49] Speaker 3: speeding past the several vehicles that he had forced off
[12:52] Speaker 3: the road. The suspect then rerounded the corner onto Norton Road,
[12:57] Speaker 3: where he lost control. The land rover skidded wildly with
[13:02] Speaker 3: its tires screeching against the asphalt, before crashing violently into
[13:07] Speaker 3: a wall outside a home on Norton Road. Once the
[13:11] Speaker 3: car crashed to a halt, the front driver's seat door
[13:14] Speaker 3: slowly opened and a man stepped out. His clothing was
[13:20] Speaker 3: stained with blood and he looked disheveled. Police quickly surrounded
[13:25] Speaker 3: him and took him into custody. When they searched the
[13:29] Speaker 3: land rover, they found a blood soaked knife in the
[13:32] Speaker 3: foot well. As news of the double murderer spread throughout
[13:36] Speaker 3: the area, tributes for Tracy and Pears came in as
[13:39] Speaker 3: people wished for Peter to make a full recovery. The
[13:44] Speaker 3: outside of the family's home turned into a makeshift memorial
[13:47] Speaker 3: as people left on flowers and cards of condolences. One
[13:52] Speaker 3: poignantly read so many memories that we will always treasure,
[13:56] Speaker 3: while another read gone but not forgotten. There were many
[14:01] Speaker 3: cards left by Pierce's friends showing the impact he had
[14:05] Speaker 3: on his peers. One of them read, rest in peace, Pierce,
[14:10] Speaker 3: You will never be forgotten. We had so many good
[14:13] Speaker 3: memories and I hope you're safe up there, Fly Highbrow.
[14:18] Speaker 3: Rest in peace, Pierce and Tracy Love Cookie Slash Jamie.
[14:23] Speaker 3: One of the family's neighbors, Maggie Pains, commented in the
[14:26] Speaker 3: media they seemed like a very happy family. It's just devastating.
[14:33] Speaker 3: Redhill Schools sent out a statement to parents and pupils
[14:36] Speaker 3: informing them of the tragedy. They announced that those who
[14:41] Speaker 3: may need support would have access to psychological first aid
[14:45] Speaker 3: provided by Deadly Educational Psychology Services. The school also said
[14:50] Speaker 3: they would be providing parents with guidance on how to
[14:53] Speaker 3: support their children. Some time later, the school pay tribute
[14:58] Speaker 3: to Pierce on their website. They referred to him as
[15:02] Speaker 3: a loyal, caring and conscientious pupil who would be missed
[15:06] Speaker 3: by everybody in the entire school. It read, in part,
[15:11] Speaker 3: he was a loving son and brother. Our thoughts and
[15:14] Speaker 3: prayers remain with his family, in particular his father Peter
[15:18] Speaker 3: and his sister Lydia. One of his teachers, then pay
[15:22] Speaker 3: tribute on the news Pierce.
[15:25] Speaker 4: Was a loyal, caring and conscientious pupil and he would
[15:28] Speaker 4: be sadly missed by every member of our school community.
[15:31] Speaker 4: He always met everyone with a smile and was a
[15:34] Speaker 4: kind and thoughtful young man who was passionate about his
[15:38] Speaker 4: football team West Bromigalbion and devoted to his pet greyhound dog.
[15:43] Speaker 4: He was a loving son and brother and our thoughts
[15:46] Speaker 4: from prayers are with his family and friends at this time,
[15:50] Speaker 4: especially his father Peter and his sister lydia. Pupils are
[15:54] Speaker 4: in school today and we have people here who can
[15:57] Speaker 4: offer professional help and support. We would also just like
[16:00] Speaker 4: to thank everyone who's contacted the school and offered their
[16:03] Speaker 4: support and their condolences.
[16:05] Speaker 3: The investigation got underway immediately and detectives already had a
[16:10] Speaker 3: suspect in custody. Superintendently, Kendrick announced clearly our investigation is
[16:16] Speaker 3: at a very early stage, but we understand the suspect
[16:20] Speaker 3: was known to the family and may have been living
[16:22] Speaker 3: at the address, although he as not a family relative.
[16:26] Speaker 3: We don't think this was a burglary or a robbery.
[16:31] Speaker 3: The man who'd been arrested after stealing the family's land
[16:34] Speaker 3: rover was identified as twenty four year old Aaron Barley,
[16:40] Speaker 3: and he was indeed known to the family. Aaron Barley's
[16:53] Speaker 3: life was a blend of chaos and instability, a story
[16:57] Speaker 3: mored by tragedy and misfortune from the very beginning. Born
[17:02] Speaker 3: the child of incest, his parents were uncle and niece,
[17:05] Speaker 3: a shadow that would forever loom over his existence. By
[17:10] Speaker 3: the age of six, Barley was already an orphan. At four,
[17:15] Speaker 3: his father had died of cancer, leaving a void that
[17:18] Speaker 3: his mother struggled to fill. Two years later, the fragile
[17:22] Speaker 3: semblance of family shattered entirely when his mother died of
[17:26] Speaker 3: a heart attack. In the span of just two years,
[17:30] Speaker 3: Barley lost both of his parents and was cast adrift
[17:34] Speaker 3: in a world that seemed to have little room for him.
[17:37] Speaker 3: His formative years where a blur of instability spent moving
[17:41] Speaker 3: from one foster home to another, shuffled between distant relatives
[17:45] Speaker 3: and temporary carerors. Each new place offered a fleeting promise
[17:50] Speaker 3: of stability that never materialized. The walls of these homes
[17:56] Speaker 3: were often filled with other children, each with their own traumas,
[18:00] Speaker 3: creating an environment where Barley's emotional needs were frequently overlooked.
[18:06] Speaker 3: The foster system, although a life line, was also a
[18:09] Speaker 3: battle ground, a place where survival often meant hardening one's
[18:13] Speaker 3: hard and trusting new one. His childhood was devoid of
[18:18] Speaker 3: the constancy that many take were granted. The absence of
[18:22] Speaker 3: a stable family unit left Barley craving connection, but also
[18:27] Speaker 3: wary of it. Eileen Adams, his former teacher in foster
[18:31] Speaker 3: carer from two thousand and three to two thousand and seven,
[18:35] Speaker 3: described him as a jackal and hide character who could
[18:39] Speaker 3: be caring and sensitive, but also threatening. Over time, Barley
[18:43] Speaker 3: became more difficult and displayed signs of an increasingly violent personality.
[18:49] Speaker 3: The fragmented nature of his upbringing cultivated a sense of
[18:53] Speaker 3: rootlessness and a deep seded mistrust of the world around him.
[18:58] Speaker 3: He was sent to Upland's Children Home in Worcester in
[19:01] Speaker 3: two thousand and five, where his violence only increased. Staff
[19:06] Speaker 3: could only calm him down by restraining him. His violence
[19:10] Speaker 3: resulted in him being kicked out of the children's home
[19:13] Speaker 3: just six months later. According to a former resident of
[19:17] Speaker 3: the home, he was a deeply troubled individual. He repeatedly
[19:22] Speaker 3: got into fights with staff and other children, and even
[19:25] Speaker 3: stole a staff member's car after breaking into the office
[19:29] Speaker 3: and stealing her keys. A former friend said of him,
[19:35] Speaker 3: Aaron looked innocent. He looked eleven and looked like butter
[19:38] Speaker 3: wouldn't melt. But he wasn't innocent. He was deeply troubled.
[19:44] Speaker 3: This friend further said, apart from the anger, he wasn't
[19:48] Speaker 3: an emotional person. We never saw him crying. He didn't
[19:53] Speaker 3: like being touched. It's as though he didn't feel anything.
[19:57] Speaker 3: He was the type of kid who if he saw
[19:59] Speaker 3: some thing upsetting happened to someone, he wouldn't get upset
[20:03] Speaker 3: or cry. He would just stand and watch. It was
[20:07] Speaker 3: like he was in his body but detached from it.
[20:12] Speaker 3: By the time he was thirteen, he was already on
[20:14] Speaker 3: the police's radar after haying a handful of other boys
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[21:35] Speaker 3: today and start exploring. Over the next handful of years,
[21:42] Speaker 3: Barley moved around a lot, sleeping on couches or on
[21:45] Speaker 3: the street. He lived in Birmingham for a while, where
[21:50] Speaker 3: he had a baby with a girlfriend, but this new
[21:53] Speaker 3: responsibility wasn't a stabilizing force in his life. He often
[21:59] Speaker 3: found himself in it out of trouble with police, amassing
[22:02] Speaker 3: twenty one convictions for various offenses, including an assault on
[22:07] Speaker 3: a former partner. In the spring of twenty and sixteen,
[22:17] Speaker 3: Tracy Wilkinson had just brought groceries at Tesco supermarket in StarBridge.
[22:24] Speaker 3: As she came outside with her trolley filled with food
[22:27] Speaker 3: for her family, she saw a homeless man outside. He
[22:32] Speaker 3: was trying to keep warm inside a cardboard box. He
[22:36] Speaker 3: looked young, and Tracy immediately felt a wave of pity
[22:40] Speaker 3: and a desire to help him. It was Aaron Barley.
[22:45] Speaker 3: He had been sleeping rough after living in shared accommodations.
[22:50] Speaker 3: Tracy struck up a conversation with Barley. He told her
[22:54] Speaker 3: that he was drawn on his luck and just needed
[22:56] Speaker 3: a chance to get back on his feet. Tracy felt
[23:00] Speaker 3: bad and asked Barley to follow her to her parked car.
[23:06] Speaker 3: She then drove him over to Dudley Counsul to get
[23:08] Speaker 3: him some help. She was able to secure him a
[23:11] Speaker 3: spot in a local hostel, but she stayed in contact
[23:15] Speaker 3: with him after she paid for his mobile phone contract.
[23:19] Speaker 3: While he now had a roof over his head, he
[23:22] Speaker 3: had no money, so Tracy made sure to provide him
[23:25] Speaker 3: with breakfast and dinner each day. Sometimes that was in
[23:30] Speaker 3: her own home, but her husband Peter didn't mind. In fact,
[23:35] Speaker 3: Peter was on board with the idea of helping Barley
[23:37] Speaker 3: back on his feet. His firm Asseid International created Project
[23:43] Speaker 3: Shelter to help the young man. By the summer, Peter
[23:48] Speaker 3: had even arranged a permanent job for him at Newport Docks,
[23:52] Speaker 3: a business which he ran. Barley did general laboring, working
[23:57] Speaker 3: in the busy yard, washing, cleaning, loading an onloading crash barriers.
[24:03] Speaker 3: Terracy and Peter truly believed that Barley was improving. He
[24:08] Speaker 3: was attending an alcohol and drugs rehabilitation center to combatist struggles,
[24:13] Speaker 3: had a steady job, and Tracy had even secured him
[24:16] Speaker 3: with a flat. A close friend of Tracy recollected they
[24:22] Speaker 3: not only helped a homeless person with cash, they found
[24:25] Speaker 3: him a roof over his head, a job, and even
[24:28] Speaker 3: fed him. But trouble was just around the corner. The
[24:34] Speaker 3: Wilkinson family had been unaware of the dark things that
[24:36] Speaker 3: Barley had been saying to the volunteers at the rehabilitation center.
[24:42] Speaker 3: He had told them that he wanted to kill somebody
[24:44] Speaker 3: with a knife, and the distray aims in life were
[24:46] Speaker 3: to kill a policeman and a prison officer. He said
[24:51] Speaker 3: that he dreamed of spending his life in prison as
[24:53] Speaker 3: a notorious criminal. Despite his disturbing comments, the volunteers dismissed
[24:59] Speaker 3: them as well bravado caused by drug abuse. Around the
[25:04] Speaker 3: same time, managers at Newport Docks informed Peter that Barley
[25:08] Speaker 3: wasn't showing up for work. He was eventually evicted from
[25:12] Speaker 3: his flat and was fired after he was aggressive towards
[25:16] Speaker 3: his manager. Wilkinson family took a step back, but one afternoon,
[25:22] Speaker 3: Peter found Barley asleep in the corner of their driveway.
[25:26] Speaker 3: He had obviously been in a fight. Peter got him
[25:30] Speaker 3: inside and made him some tea. He was covered in bruises,
[25:34] Speaker 3: and when Tracy saw the state that he was in,
[25:36] Speaker 3: she wanted to help him again. The family managed to
[25:40] Speaker 3: get counsel accommodations sordid and they allowed him to do
[25:43] Speaker 3: some general jobs for them to earn some cash. Peter's father,
[25:48] Speaker 3: John recalled she felt sorry for him and became friends
[25:52] Speaker 3: with him. He even sat around the table with us
[25:54] Speaker 3: all at Christmas and shared a meal with us. The
[25:58] Speaker 3: family had welcomed Barley into their home for Christmas Day.
[26:03] Speaker 3: He wrote Tracy a card which read to the mother
[26:06] Speaker 3: that I never had. By February, Barley had managed to
[26:10] Speaker 3: secure a new job working as a furniture polisher and
[26:13] Speaker 3: got himself a new flat. The family stay in contact
[26:18] Speaker 3: and Barley came to their home for dinner twice a week.
[26:23] Speaker 3: In early March, Peter shared a take away and in
[26:25] Speaker 3: a couple of bears with him before he dropped him
[26:27] Speaker 3: back at the flat. It was the last time that
[26:31] Speaker 3: he saw him until he attacked him and stabbed him
[26:33] Speaker 3: in the very home the family had welcomed him into.
[26:38] Speaker 3: While Barley appeared to be more stable, it was only
[26:41] Speaker 3: short lived. His behavior became more erratic, and Peter eventually
[26:47] Speaker 3: canceled the mobile phone contract. Barley was then fired again
[26:53] Speaker 3: after he started abusing drugs and refusing to show up
[26:56] Speaker 3: for his shifts. That same month, he made threats on
[27:01] Speaker 3: Facebook about taking down his family and wondering about how
[27:05] Speaker 3: many people he could kill before he was caught. After
[27:16] Speaker 3: two weeks, Peter was discharged from the hospital. He and
[27:20] Speaker 3: his daughter Lydia now had to grapple with the grief
[27:23] Speaker 3: that engulfed them. They couldn't return home as it was
[27:27] Speaker 3: now a crime scene, so they went to stay with
[27:29] Speaker 3: Peter's father, John and his wife Wendy. Peter recounted the
[27:35] Speaker 3: harrowing events of the morning too detectives. It had started
[27:40] Speaker 3: out like any regular day for the Wilkinson family. Peter
[27:45] Speaker 3: was at home with Tracy and Pearce while Lydia was
[27:48] Speaker 3: away at university. At around seven thirty a m. Peter
[27:53] Speaker 3: left the family home to walk Mandy, as he did
[27:56] Speaker 3: every morning. The house was still in with Tracy and
[28:01] Speaker 3: Peter to sleep upstairs. In their respective bedrooms. Peter moved silently,
[28:08] Speaker 3: careful not to disturb their slumber. He exited through the
[28:12] Speaker 3: back kitchen door, leaving it unlocked. They lived in a
[28:17] Speaker 3: safe neighborhood, and Peter felt no qualms about leaving the
[28:20] Speaker 3: door unsecured for his family, who would be awake soon.
[28:25] Speaker 3: Unbeknownst to Peter, however, a sinister presence lurked nearby. Aaron
[28:31] Speaker 3: Barley had been hiding in the garden and driveway of
[28:33] Speaker 3: their home since the early morning ours. The family security
[28:39] Speaker 3: system had captured his movements, but they hadn't checked the
[28:42] Speaker 3: footage that morning. They had no idea he was there,
[28:47] Speaker 3: lurking in the shadows. Barley had concealed himself behind the
[28:51] Speaker 3: cars in the driveway. He had removed his light colored
[28:55] Speaker 3: jacket to blend into the early morning gloom. Shoes were
[29:00] Speaker 3: covered with black socks, and a balaclava masked his face.
[29:05] Speaker 3: He was there with purpose, but Peter, Tracy, and Pearce
[29:09] Speaker 3: were blissfully unaware. Every detail of Barley's attire was meticulously
[29:15] Speaker 3: planned to avoid detection. The calm of the morning bellied
[29:19] Speaker 3: the storm about to break at about four a m.
[29:23] Speaker 3: Barley had been observed entering the garden shed, where he
[29:27] Speaker 3: remained for around thirty five minutes when he was captured
[29:31] Speaker 3: on surveillance. Leaving the shed. He was armed with a clawhammer.
[29:36] Speaker 3: He left it on the patio and then crawled back
[29:38] Speaker 3: and forth over the lawn. Barley then hid among the
[29:42] Speaker 3: bushes until Peter left with the family dog in tow.
[29:46] Speaker 3: At about seven thirty a m. The security cameras at
[29:51] Speaker 3: the family's home captured Barley entering the back door, where
[29:55] Speaker 3: he lifted a butcher knife from the kitchen. He proceeded
[29:59] Speaker 3: up the s stairs and stabbed Pierce and Tracy to death.
[30:04] Speaker 3: Peter was caught off guard when he returned home from
[30:07] Speaker 3: his walk just before eight a m. That morning. As
[30:11] Speaker 3: he drew closer to the back door, he couldn't see
[30:14] Speaker 3: Tracy or Pierce in their usual spot making breakfast.
[30:19] Speaker 2: I came back and I remember looking through the window
[30:22] Speaker 2: at the back door of the house thinking that everybody
[30:26] Speaker 2: must have overslept, because now he was up. Eye opened
[30:30] Speaker 2: the back door, and as I did it, he jumped
[30:32] Speaker 2: out from behind the wall, kind of wall in the kitchen,
[30:38] Speaker 2: all dressed in black and with a big knife held
[30:43] Speaker 2: over his head and started stabbing me with it.
[30:48] Speaker 3: Before Peter even had a moment to respond, Barley stabbed
[30:52] Speaker 3: and slashed at him with the second knife and shouted out,
[30:56] Speaker 3: die you bastard.
[30:58] Speaker 5: After that, I remember some grappling and been stabbed a
[31:04] Speaker 5: number of times. I then just recalled, thinking that it
[31:09] Speaker 5: was going to go on and on and on.
[31:12] Speaker 3: He stumbled out of the back door, and the security
[31:14] Speaker 3: cameras caught him falling to the ground with Barley above him.
[31:19] Speaker 3: He raised the knife above his head. Peter begged for
[31:22] Speaker 3: his life and told Barley that they had helped him.
[31:27] Speaker 3: He fully expected to be stabbed again, but Barley simply
[31:30] Speaker 3: turned around and fled the family's home in their land
[31:33] Speaker 3: rover discovery. Peter had sustained six stab wounds, two to
[31:39] Speaker 3: the face, to the stomach, and two to the back.
[31:43] Speaker 3: He recollected. I got up, I think I was on
[31:47] Speaker 3: the lawn at this time, and went into the kitchen
[31:49] Speaker 3: and phoned the emergency services. I was not thinking I
[31:53] Speaker 3: was too badly injured. Then I remembered looking around and
[31:57] Speaker 3: seeing this huge trail of blood across the floor, which
[32:01] Speaker 3: was my blood. I then went back out into the
[32:04] Speaker 3: back garden, sat in a chair, and I remember talking
[32:08] Speaker 3: to the person on the other end of the phone
[32:10] Speaker 3: and realizing that I was actually dying. I could feel
[32:15] Speaker 3: my lungs filling with fluid, and I could feel the
[32:18] Speaker 3: energy draining from me. Peter was completely unaware that his
[32:22] Speaker 3: wife was dead inside and his son was on the
[32:25] Speaker 3: verge of death.
[32:26] Speaker 5: An ambulanceman treated me and another one ran inside. I
[32:31] Speaker 5: then remember, whilst I was being treated by I think
[32:36] Speaker 5: it was two or three people, an ambulanceman came out
[32:40] Speaker 5: and said behind me, one deceased, one in cardiac arrest,
[32:45] Speaker 5: and my heart sunk.
[32:47] Speaker 3: At that moment, his whole world fell apart. The family's greyhound, Mandy,
[32:53] Speaker 3: was uninjured in the attack, but left shaken by witnessing
[32:56] Speaker 3: what had happened. She was taken in by other family members,
[33:01] Speaker 3: although the rescue she had come from offered to take
[33:04] Speaker 3: her while Peter and Lydia graved. She commented, Pierce and
[33:09] Speaker 3: Peter particularly loved Mandy, and she really loved them too.
[33:13] Speaker 3: But I think in time to come, Mandy will be
[33:16] Speaker 3: some help to get the family through this tragedy. Aaron
[33:29] Speaker 3: Barley appeared in Birmingham Magistrate's Court in a hospital gown
[33:32] Speaker 3: with his right arm in a sling. He was charged
[33:36] Speaker 3: with the murders of Tracy and Pearce in the attempted
[33:39] Speaker 3: murder of Peter. The judge then remanded him into custody
[33:43] Speaker 3: until the next hearing. By no details of the murders
[33:48] Speaker 3: and the relationship between the family had spread across the headlines.
[33:54] Speaker 3: People were absolutely stunned when local commented, it doesn't supp
[34:00] Speaker 3: me at all that they would open up their home
[34:02] Speaker 3: to somebody in need and provide them with a roof
[34:04] Speaker 3: over their head. It was just their nature. They were
[34:07] Speaker 3: just so kind. Colin Elcock, a local Conservative councilor, came
[34:12] Speaker 3: to know the family after Tracy and Peter volunteered by
[34:16] Speaker 3: leafleting ahead of the West Midlands mayoral election. He said
[34:20] Speaker 3: to the media they were just a decent family all around.
[34:25] Speaker 3: It's such a measure of the family that they would
[34:27] Speaker 3: do such a thing for a stranger to learn. Peter
[34:30] Speaker 3: is now lying in a hospital bed and his wife
[34:33] Speaker 3: and son have been killed. As shocking. On the second
[34:38] Speaker 3: of April, Lydia returned to the family's home for the
[34:40] Speaker 3: first time, but only to lead on a bouquet of flowers.
[34:45] Speaker 3: She provided a heartfelt statement which read our family are
[34:50] Speaker 3: devastated at the loss of Tracy and Pearce. They were
[34:54] Speaker 3: extremely loved by all of their family and friends. Pierce
[34:58] Speaker 3: was a fun, loving, friendly and happy be boy who
[35:00] Speaker 3: loved computer games and made everyone smile. Tracy was loving,
[35:05] Speaker 3: caring and a wonderful mother and daughter, always putting others
[35:09] Speaker 3: before herself. She went on to thank the emergency services
[35:13] Speaker 3: in the hospital staff before requesting privacy for the family.
[35:19] Speaker 3: The tributes continued to flood in and on the fifteenth
[35:22] Speaker 3: of April, a minute's applause was held prior to the
[35:25] Speaker 3: kickoff at West Brom's match against Liverpool at the Hawthorns.
[35:29] Speaker 3: Tracy and Peters were West Brom fans and Peter was
[35:33] Speaker 3: an East Stand season ticket holder. Albion Chief executive Martin
[35:37] Speaker 3: Goodman stated, we know from the huge public reaction to
[35:41] Speaker 3: the incident just how much these awful events have shocked
[35:45] Speaker 3: everyone and it is difficult for us to imagine what Peter,
[35:48] Speaker 3: Lydia and their loved ones are going through. Peter had
[35:52] Speaker 3: gotten out of the hospital just in time for the match,
[35:55] Speaker 3: which he watched with his daughter, Lydia and the rest
[35:58] Speaker 3: of the family. The next day, he paid tribute to
[36:01] Speaker 3: his wife and son. He said that they were both
[36:05] Speaker 3: dearly missed and deeply loved. He said that his wife
[36:09] Speaker 3: was his absolute angel who did a lot of work
[36:12] Speaker 3: to help other people. He recollected she wouldn't walk past
[36:17] Speaker 3: a homeless person on the street without stopping to give
[36:19] Speaker 3: them a sandwich. She was that type of person. As
[36:24] Speaker 3: for Peers, he said that his son loved school and
[36:26] Speaker 3: that they had such a happy family life, but all
[36:31] Speaker 3: of that had been taken away from them. Through tears,
[36:34] Speaker 3: Peter told the Express and Star that he had almost
[36:37] Speaker 3: died after suffering six deep stab wounds. He had been
[36:41] Speaker 3: in intensive care for six days and it was very
[36:45] Speaker 3: much touch and go. Peter said that he and Lydia
[36:49] Speaker 3: would remain in the StarBridge area, but that they would
[36:52] Speaker 3: never be able to live in their old home. It
[36:56] Speaker 3: had been his and Tracy's labor of love for around
[36:58] Speaker 3: six or seven years as they renovated it and turned
[37:01] Speaker 3: it into their dream family home. Peter then added, we
[37:06] Speaker 3: will find happiness again. It's just going to be a long,
[37:10] Speaker 3: long road that we should never have to take. Aaron
[37:26] Speaker 3: Barley returned to court on the third of May, where
[37:28] Speaker 3: he confirmed his name and then pleaded guilty to the
[37:31] Speaker 3: attempted murder of Peter. Lydia was seated in the public
[37:36] Speaker 3: gallery about ten feet away from Barley, but Peter wasn't there.
[37:42] Speaker 3: Barley wasn't asked to enter a play for the murder charges,
[37:45] Speaker 3: and was then remanded into court. The guilty play was
[37:50] Speaker 3: a relief for the family, but they knew they still
[37:53] Speaker 3: had the traumatic ordeal of the murder trial unless Barley
[37:56] Speaker 3: pleaded guilty to the murders as well. In the meantime,
[38:00] Speaker 3: they were keeping themselves occupied by planning Tracy and Pearce's
[38:03] Speaker 3: joint funeral. It was scheduled for the seventh of June,
[38:08] Speaker 3: and Peter said that he wanted to have an uplifting event,
[38:11] Speaker 3: before adding Pearce was taken so young, so it's not
[38:16] Speaker 3: a celebration. They would have wanted people to be thinking
[38:19] Speaker 3: of them, not necessarily mourning them. Black is not compulsory,
[38:25] Speaker 3: just because we want the funeral to be uplifting and
[38:28] Speaker 3: not a dark ceremony. On the seventh of June, hundreds
[38:32] Speaker 3: of people showed up to Saint Mary's Church as Tracy
[38:35] Speaker 3: and Pearce were escorted into the church in a single
[38:38] Speaker 3: white coffin the family's greyhound, Mandy, stood in a guard
[38:44] Speaker 3: of honor. Lydia stood before the mourners and said that
[38:48] Speaker 3: her mother and brother shared a true bond of love
[38:52] Speaker 3: that could never be broken. She described her mother as
[38:56] Speaker 3: the most perfect mother and friend, and Pierce as simple
[39:00] Speaker 3: the best brother. Through tears, she said they were home
[39:04] Speaker 3: birds who were perfectly happy watching films together. My mum
[39:08] Speaker 3: was gorgeous, not only in looks and fashion, but she
[39:11] Speaker 3: had a beautiful soul. Pierce, who I always affectionately referred
[39:16] Speaker 3: to as Pippin, was simply the best brother I could
[39:19] Speaker 3: ask for. He was so happy. I shared so many
[39:23] Speaker 3: memories with him. He'll always be my baby brother, and
[39:27] Speaker 3: I'll never forget the fantastic times we had together. Family
[39:31] Speaker 3: friend Roy Wiffin, who was also Pierce's godfather, provided his
[39:36] Speaker 3: own eulogy. He said that some people might be surprised
[39:40] Speaker 3: to see just one coffin, but said that Tracy and
[39:43] Speaker 3: Peers were always together, inseparable, as they always were in life.
[39:49] Speaker 3: The service was followed by a private committal. In the
[39:53] Speaker 3: wake of the funerals, Lydia spoke with Birmingham Mail about
[39:56] Speaker 3: the horrific ordeal.
[39:58] Speaker 1: At the age of nineteen nine. Forget to see my
[40:00] Speaker 1: mom or my little brother again is heartbreaking. It's indescribable pain.
[40:08] Speaker 3: She said that when she saw her father in hospital
[40:11] Speaker 3: for the first time, she didn't expect him to make it.
[40:15] Speaker 3: She said the idea of planning a triple funeral was traumatic,
[40:19] Speaker 3: and she struggled to process her emotions.
[40:23] Speaker 1: I take a lot of strength in the fact that
[40:25] Speaker 1: Dad is still with me, because for a few hours
[40:29] Speaker 1: I thought I had nobody and that I was alone
[40:32] Speaker 1: in the world. So for Dad to make such an
[40:35] Speaker 1: immense recovery, I take a lot of strength from that.
[40:39] Speaker 3: There is no motive, she poignantly recollected. I knew there
[40:44] Speaker 3: was nothing I could do to help my mom Pierce,
[40:47] Speaker 3: as they had tragically passed away. So my sole focus
[40:50] Speaker 3: at that moment in time was my dad, because he
[40:53] Speaker 3: was the only thing I had left in life, and
[40:56] Speaker 3: if I didn't have him, then I was going to
[40:57] Speaker 3: be completely on my own and there was nothing I
[41:00] Speaker 3: could do about it. When Peter finally awoke, Lydia couldn't
[41:05] Speaker 3: bring herself to tell him that she had been tasked
[41:07] Speaker 3: with identifying the bodies of her mother and brother, and
[41:11] Speaker 3: didn't tell him until he was out of critical care.
[41:15] Speaker 3: With the murder triality at looming, Peter and Lydia were nervous.
[41:20] Speaker 3: Peter knew that he would have to relive the day
[41:22] Speaker 3: his wife and some were killed, and he too was
[41:25] Speaker 3: almost killed. But on the third of October, Aaron Barley
[41:29] Speaker 3: appeared in court and pleaded guilty to two counts of murder.
[41:35] Speaker 3: Wearing a light blue T shirt and blue tracksuit bottoms,
[41:38] Speaker 3: he appeared emotionless as he admitted the murders. During the courprosceedings,
[41:44] Speaker 3: prosecutor Karen Khalil read alloud some facts of the case.
[41:49] Speaker 3: He said that Peter thought that it was important to
[41:52] Speaker 3: his wife to help Barley, but said that Peers and
[41:55] Speaker 3: Lydia were never comfortable with him around. He further said
[41:59] Speaker 3: that Peter wondered whether him canceling Barley's phone contract was
[42:03] Speaker 3: the catalyst for the murders. Barley's defense attorney, Jonas Hankin,
[42:10] Speaker 3: told the court that his parents had died when he
[42:12] Speaker 3: was a young boy, following which he was pushed from
[42:15] Speaker 3: pillar to post. He said that his client was suffering
[42:19] Speaker 3: from borderline personality disorder and felt that the Wilkinsons had
[42:23] Speaker 3: abandoned him However, the defense attorney conceded that the family
[42:28] Speaker 3: had shown him extraordinary kindness. During the court proceeding, Lydia
[42:33] Speaker 3: provided a statement. She told Barley that he had obliterated
[42:38] Speaker 3: her life, telling him, my parents helped you. You repaid
[42:43] Speaker 3: them with destruction and heartache. You have obliterated my life,
[42:48] Speaker 3: murdered half my family, very nearly all of it, and
[42:52] Speaker 3: for this I will never forgive you. She said that
[42:55] Speaker 3: if she had have been home that day, she didn't
[42:58] Speaker 3: doubt that she too would have been killed. She told
[43:02] Speaker 3: the court room that life had been heartbreakingly difficult since
[43:05] Speaker 3: the murders, and said that she had been left a
[43:08] Speaker 3: shell of her former self. She stated, I was confident
[43:13] Speaker 3: and enjoyed life, but now grief has taken over. Grief
[43:17] Speaker 3: has round me. To see the stairs at home, to
[43:21] Speaker 3: walk the last path they took tears me up inside.
[43:32] Speaker 3: Aaron Barley returned to court the next morning to be
[43:34] Speaker 3: sentenced for the double murder. He was addressed by Judge
[43:38] Speaker 3: Missus Carr, who told him that he had snuffed out
[43:41] Speaker 3: the lives of a mother and son and had left
[43:44] Speaker 3: a trail of shattered lives before him. She told him
[43:48] Speaker 3: that he had devastated Peter and Lydia and told the
[43:52] Speaker 3: court that they were both in counseling. She said to Barley,
[43:57] Speaker 3: the family's understandable anger and distress has been obvious to all.
[44:01] Speaker 3: Mister Wilkinson says, words cannot express the devastating and traumatic
[44:05] Speaker 3: effect your actions have had on his family. They showed
[44:10] Speaker 3: you love and respect which you had not enjoyed before.
[44:14] Speaker 3: He has been left with a void in his life
[44:16] Speaker 3: that is permanent. She continued, stating, you abused your knowledge
[44:22] Speaker 3: of the family home, which you had only gained through
[44:25] Speaker 3: the Wilkinson's extraordinary kindness and generosity to you, missus Wilkinson.
[44:30] Speaker 3: In Pearce only thirteen were in bed at home where
[44:34] Speaker 3: they were entitled to feel and should have been safe.
[44:37] Speaker 3: You have shown no remorse, indeed, only regret that mister
[44:41] Speaker 3: Wilkinson survived his injuries, and at times satisfaction in what
[44:46] Speaker 3: you did achieve. You knew that you were destroying the family.
[44:50] Speaker 3: It's what you intended. The judge then sentenced Darren Barley
[44:54] Speaker 3: to life in prison with a minimum sentence of thirty years.
[45:00] Speaker 3: After he was handcuffed and escorted out of the courtroom
[45:02] Speaker 3: to begin serving his sentence. Ian Crooks, Senior Crown Prosecutor,
[45:07] Speaker 3: provided a statement he said to the media Aron Barley
[45:12] Speaker 3: carried out a brutal and cruel attack on his victims,
[45:16] Speaker 3: who had shown nothing other than the utmost kindness and
[45:18] Speaker 3: consideration to him over a number of years. In return
[45:23] Speaker 3: for their supporting kindness, Barley waited for the opportunity to
[45:27] Speaker 3: gain access to the family home before fatally stabbing Tracy
[45:31] Speaker 3: and Pearce and then attacking Peter Wilkinson, stabbing him several times.
[45:43] Speaker 3: While Peter had said that he was going to move
[45:44] Speaker 3: from the family home, he eventually changed his mind. He
[45:49] Speaker 3: said that it was their home and after Barley had
[45:52] Speaker 3: already taken so much from them, he couldn't let him
[45:55] Speaker 3: take that as well. Peter said it was the most
[45:59] Speaker 3: difficul good thing I have ever done in my life. However,
[46:03] Speaker 3: Peter later put the house up for sale, priced at
[46:06] Speaker 3: six hundred and fifty thousand pounds that he had graduated
[46:11] Speaker 3: from university in two thy nineteen. She spoke with the
[46:15] Speaker 3: BBC afterwards, telling them my mom and dad always encouraged
[46:20] Speaker 3: me to work hard and try your best, and the
[46:23] Speaker 3: fact that my mom was really proud that I got
[46:25] Speaker 3: into Bristol and all my family was has been a
[46:28] Speaker 3: big drive for me in terms of my mum and peers.
[46:31] Speaker 3: We remember them and make sure that we remember not
[46:34] Speaker 3: what happened, but who they were. We don't want to
[46:37] Speaker 3: associate what happened with their memories and that's a good
[46:40] Speaker 3: way of looking at it. Following the trial, it was
[46:44] Speaker 3: revealed that a week before the murders, Tracey had told
[46:46] Speaker 3: the volunteer at Atlantic House Recovery Center in Dudley that
[46:51] Speaker 3: Barley had threatened her life. Despite this, the volunteer didn't
[46:56] Speaker 3: inform police this. It was just one of four instances
[47:01] Speaker 3: of concerning behavior that support workers didn't pass on. The
[47:06] Speaker 3: others included his express desire to kill people, including a
[47:10] Speaker 3: police officer and a prison officer. According to the recovery center,
[47:15] Speaker 3: it was their policy to report violent intent, threats, or
[47:18] Speaker 3: an indication to commit a crime, but nobody did. In
[47:23] Speaker 3: December of two thousand and seventeen, Barley's sentence was challenged
[47:27] Speaker 3: at the Court of Appeal and it was argued that
[47:29] Speaker 3: his sentence was unduly lenient. His minimum term of thirty
[47:34] Speaker 3: years was increased by an extra four years. Despite the
[47:39] Speaker 3: guilty please, it still isn't understood why Aaron Barley committed
[47:44] Speaker 3: the murders. Detective Superintendent Tom Chisholm referred to the murders
[47:49] Speaker 3: as the most shocking he had ever encountered in his career.
[47:54] Speaker 3: He stated, there's usually a build up or a motive,
[47:58] Speaker 3: or a grudge or something, but this one is just
[48:01] Speaker 3: very random. After Barley had been arrested, he had been
[48:05] Speaker 3: completely uncooperative. He had boasted that he killed two people,
[48:11] Speaker 3: but wished that it had been three, before saying I
[48:15] Speaker 3: chopped them up. I don't need a solicitor. About twelve
[48:19] Speaker 3: hours after the arrest, he pressed the buzzer in his cell.
[48:23] Speaker 3: When a guard arrived, Barley said to him, I've stabbed
[48:26] Speaker 3: three people. I ain't bothered about taking one of you
[48:29] Speaker 3: with me. When he was asked whether he wanted legal representation,
[48:35] Speaker 3: his response was, I don't need a solicitor. I've done it.
[48:40] Speaker 3: What's more to say. I'll bite his face off if
[48:43] Speaker 3: he tries to come near me. These were the only
[48:47] Speaker 3: comments that Barley ever made in relation to the murders
[48:50] Speaker 3: and attempted murder. He never explained what caused him to
[48:54] Speaker 3: turn on the family who took him under their wing.
[48:58] Speaker 5: There is no motive. There's still no motive. The last
[49:03] Speaker 5: time that I saw Aaron, I shared a curry with
[49:08] Speaker 5: him and a couple of bottles of beer and then
[49:10] Speaker 5: dropped him off back at his flat.
[49:12] Speaker 1: He saw her as a mum, as a second mum,
[49:17] Speaker 1: and he said that quite openly, and all my mum
[49:20] Speaker 1: wanted to do was help him as much as she could.
[49:25] Speaker 5: He decided to come and take his misfortune out on
[49:27] Speaker 5: the people who tried to give him a lifting life.
[49:30] Speaker 1: The grief is shared, it almost makes it that little
[49:34] Speaker 1: bit easier to deal with because you can't connect why
[49:38] Speaker 1: it happened, or you know is that it has and
[49:40] Speaker 1: we can't do anything else but make them proud.
[50:13] Speaker 3: Well, Bestie's That is it for this episode of Morbidology.
[50:17] Speaker 3: As always, thank you so much for listening, and I'd
[50:19] Speaker 3: like to say a massive thank you to my new
[50:21] Speaker 3: supporters up on Patreon, Chelsea, Megan and Gina. You can
[50:26] Speaker 3: join us up on Patreon for as little as one
[50:28] Speaker 3: dollar a month, and you can cancel your subscription at
[50:32] Speaker 3: any point. Pedroon really is a great way for independent
[50:36] Speaker 3: shows to continue running, and I genuinely do appreciate all
[50:40] Speaker 3: of you up on Patreon, I upload adfree in early
[50:43] Speaker 3: release episodes, bonus episodes of Morbidology plus behind the scenes,
[50:48] Speaker 3: and I also send out a hand written thank you
[50:49] Speaker 3: card along with some cool exclusive merch As mentioned before,
[50:55] Speaker 3: Morbidology is now up on YouTube and the episodes are
[50:58] Speaker 3: presented in a documentary style with photographs and videos associated
[51:03] Speaker 3: with each episode. This includes the interrogation footage, bodycam footage,
[51:08] Speaker 3: and any other footage I may have been able to get.
[51:13] Speaker 3: Remember the check as out at morbidology dot com for
[51:15] Speaker 3: more information about this episode and to read some true
[51:18] Speaker 3: crime articles. Until next time, take care of yourselves, stay safe,
[51:22] Speaker 3: and have an amazing week.

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