Woman tells of brutal murders
Axe victim’s neighbour relives terror
Published:
THE neighbour of a murdered Aberdeen woman today told of the horrific moment the victim’s blood-soaked daughter rushed into her home.
And today Cheryl Lovett said she still relived the dreadful moment when Shelly Walsh told her of the gruesome events next door.
The mum’s two children also lay dead in the house.
And Cheryl Lovett, who has lived all her life in Australia’s Cowra district, said she can’t sleep in her house knowing the horrors that went on next door.
Aberdeen woman Jean Walsh, 52, was brutally killed in an axe attack while her two young grandchildren were found dead in the house in the area’s Brougham Street.
Jean’s husband John, 69, has been charged in connection with the murders.
Post mortem results today revealed that Jean, who grew up in Aberdeen’s Powis area, died from multiple axe wounds to her head and body.
Her granddaughter Jaime, 5, drowned and her seven-year-old grandson Kevin died from a blow to the back of the head with a blunt weapon.
Jean’s daughter Shelly was also attacked and ran screaming and blood-drenched to Cheryl’s home.
“It was unbelievable slaughter,” said Cheryl.
“Shelly came to me and was just yelling ‘Help, help, help me, Cheryl’.
“I told her to come in quick.
“There was so much blood – it was all unbelievable.”
It is alleged John Walsh attacked Shelly with an axe after the policewoman discovered the bodies of her mum and children.
Next-door-neighbour Cheryl said Shelly came running to her home seconds after allegedly grappling with her father.
Cheryl said: “I remember her face at the window and I remember all the blood. I got her inside and locked the door.
“I was terrified he had chased her. So I ran to the back door and locked it.
“Then I remember Shelly saying her mum was dead and her daughter was dead.”
Shelly told Cheryl she couldn’t find her son.
“I said I would go outside and see if I could see him but she kept saying we couldn’t go outside,” she said.
Shelly was bleeding heavily from a gash on her head.
Cheryl said: “I thought I had to hold myself together and Shelly was pretty strong herself for someone that had such a wound on her head. I covered the gash with a wet cloth but it was impossible to see through all the blood what the damage was.”
It was sheer coincidence that mum Cheryl was at home.
“I never take time off work,” said Cheryl.
“But that day I woke up with a migraine and stayed home.
“It was about 2pm when I began to hear the screaming.
“At first I thought there had been a car accident and that my son had been involved.”
The couple were quiet, Cheryl said, and had withdrawn more since their son Scott committed suicide, aged 22.
She said they had let their swimming pool dry up and the grass grow long around a broken mower in the back garden.
The whole street was now trying to come to terms with the carnage while police were still stationed outside the crime scene.
“The street is devastated for sure,” she said.
“It is hard to live here at the moment.
“I can’t sleep here – my room is so close to their house and I find it hard when it gets dark.
“Maybe I will get over it, but not yet.
“But I don’t want to leave. This is where I grew up.”
Six hours after the alleged attack John was caught.
He had driven 250 miles to the town of Hay, booked into a hotel and placed an order of bacon and eggs on toast for breakfast.
Police were alerted and swooped on the hotel.
Aberdeen woman Jean Walsh, born Mable Sim, went to Sunnybank Primary the Powis secondary and worked in Bisset’s bookshop in Old Aberdeen.
Aged 16, she jetted off for a new dream life in Australia.
She married and had three children with Irish husband John.
The pair moved into Brougham Street in the Cowra area of New South Wales to enjoy John’s retirement.
Their life together ended on Sunday when Jean was axed to death and her two grandchildren were found dead.
John has since appeared in court charged with three murders and an attempted murder.
He is due to appear in court again next week.
