Inquest begins into death of son who died on train tracks after finding mum and grandmother murdered in Shirebrook

Liam Parker, aged 22, was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics on April 20, 2016, after he was hit by a train. He was 22.

His death came nearly two months after he was the one to discover the bodies of his murdered mum and grandmother.

Mum Julie Hill, 51, and grandmother Rose Hill, 75, were brutally killed by Julie’s nephew, Christopher Whelan, 21, at Julie’s house in Shirebrook, on February 26.

Whelan – Liam’s cousin – was jailed for life with a 15-year minimum term after pleading guilty to two counts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility due to his mental health.

Liam, of Charnock Crescent, Sheffield, had been trying to contact his mum Julie on February 26 before visiting her home on Station Road, where he found both women dead.

Julie had been drowned in a bathtub, while Rose had been strangled. They were both brutally beaten before they died.

At Chesterfield Coroner’s Court this week, a seven-day inquest was opened to determine the facts of Liam’s death, which happened 54 days after the killings.

A jury will hear evidence over the 22-year-old’s state of mind after his traumatic experience, how he accessed the tracks and to determine if his death was a suicide.

The jury heard a note was found in Liam’s clothing when he died.

The court will also hear how Liam was arrested and detained in police custody on the night before his death. Evidence will include what risk assessments were done and what conversations were had between agencies while he was held.

Circumstances

Assistant coroner Sabyta Kaushal told the jury they would first hear about the circumstances of Julie and Rose’s death and the effect it had on Liam’s mental health.

The jury – as well as the families of Liam, Julie and Rose, who were also in the court – were played the distressed 999 call Liam made on February 26 on the day he found their bodies.

During the 15-minute long recording, an inconsolable Liam can be heard struggling to describe what he had seen.

The jury heard Whelan had left a note for his family before leaving for Julie’s house that read: “I have to do this for me and my God.”

Liam was interviewed by police as a significant witness as he had discovered the scene and had a copy of Whelan's note on his phone.

During Whelan’s sentencing, the court heard Whelan admitted in a psychiatric interview he had demanded money from Julie before killing her. He reportedly also blamed the two women for his parents’ divorce.

Psychiatric evidence revealed Whelan thought some of his fantasies about killing came from Satan and his long-term use of cannabis had made things worse.

Whelan had travelled from Sheffield and arrived at Shirebrook on the morning of February 25 with a plan to rob Julie. Rose had been seen arriving afterwards.

Julie and Rose’s families described both women as ‘loving mothers’ and ‘dear friends’.

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