downsmail.co.uk
Murder trial |News
We’ll never have that cup of tea ...
MANDY Childs says she is haunted by her last memory of mum, Jacqueline Allen, waving goodbye. And she admitted she repeat-
edly breaks down in tears as she struggles to come to terms with the enormity of her loss. Mrs Childs opened her heart in
a statement read to Maidstone Crown Court last month, where her former partner, SimonChilds, was sentenced to life in prison for murder and attemptedmurder. The jury had earlier been told
he targeted the family home in Spitfire Road, West Malling, in November last year because he believed his ex was seeing an- otherman. Mrs Childs had been out at the
time, but hermotherwas trapped in the blaze, the court heard. “My mum was my best friend.
Words cannot describe how I feel,” said Mrs Childs. “I never got to say goodbye.Wewill never have that one last cup of tea to- gether. “I amthe person I amtoday be-
cause
ofmymum.Atwork, I find myself talking to her and end up with tears rolling downmy face. I have even foundmyself searching for her name onmy phone to call her and then I realise she is not here anymore and I can't. “I still see the last image of her,
waving goodbye tome as I drove off. That image will never go away. I have so much guilt and
Jacqueline Allen
askmyself whatmight have hap- pened had I not gone out that night. “When I had to go back to the
house,mymum’s coatwas still at the bottomofmy bed. “I go to her grave as I don’t
want to leave it empty. I feel so numb andwill never acceptwhat has happened.” Mrs Allen’s brother, Andrew
said: “I always looked up to her, she was so kind and helped look aftermewhen Imost needed her. Why would someone do this to somebody so kind? My insides have been totally ripped out. I wanted to curl up and die.”
Family dog perished
THE family’s beloved pet dog, Jessie, also died in the blaze. ThejuryatMaidstoneCrownCourtheardharrowingaccountsof thetwo-
year-old’s final terrifiedmoments as the flames took hold. Friends recalled how the
little dog was often too scared to jump off the bed, and speculated how fright- ened she must have been when black smoke leaked under the bedroom door where her body was later found. Witnesses to the blaze
say they heard the dog cry- ingas the fire spreadacross the house. Jessie would have been
three years old just days after the blaze.
Malling June 2019 5
Open 24 hours, 365 days a year
www.parkfoot.net 01732 840000
265 London Road, West Malling, ME19 5AE Parkfoot
Summer BBQs
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
