A Police Story
Victoria Police Website | When Lenore Faulkner received a knock on her door by Melbourne West police station’s constables David Sutherland and Hannah Leadbeatter her world fell apart
David's Story
“I was working the 7am shift on Sunday morning. I got a job straight away to deliver a death message. It was my first one.
I had to attend in Kensington and speak to Lenore, the mother of Ashlee, and grandmother of the four kids, who died in a house fire in Clifton Springs.
On the way, Hannah and I talked about how we were going to tell them. We had planned what we were going to say, but when we knocked on the door that just went straight out the window.
We knocked and rang the bell for about 10 minutes and thought they might not be home. We were slightly relieved, but as we were about to leave I saw the hall light go on.
I said “Lenore, I’m afraid I’ve got some terrible news about Ashlee”. She buckled at the knees and started shaking and crying.
I was trying to be as calm as I could. She was very upset, but I still had to deliver the extra news about her four grandchildren as well.
She was devastated. I had just given the worst news of her life.
I remember looking around and seeing very recent photos of Ashlee in the house. Lenore was obviously very proud of her daughter and her grandchildren.
Hannah and I did our best to try to comfort her and we offered to call people for her. |
