THE partner of a disabled woman shot by her suicidal son revealed last night that he has not dumped her killer's ashes in a sewage works.

Emotional Harry Mawson made the comments following last month's painful inquest into the deaths of Jean Blakey, 55 and her son Ian.

The 34-year-old shot Mrs Blakey, who had multiple sclerosis, before turning the gun on himself after driving to a secluded spot near Crook Golf Course, County Durham, last April.

However, Mr Mawson, fears he has become a target since being quoted as saying he had dumped Mr Blakey's ashes in Witton Park sewage works.

Police are investigating a number of incidents including smashed windows, slashed tyres and a suspected arson attack on his pigeon loft, killing 44 of his beloved birds.

Mr Mawson, 59, told The Northern Echo he had spoken in anger after sitting through the inquest - which found his partner of 26 years had been  unlawfully killed and that her son had taken his own life.

However, he insisted Mr Blakey's ashes still remain in the home Mr Mawson shared with his mother in Crook.

"At their inquests there were more than 200 pictures of the scene and I said something like he should be in the sewer. I did not put his ashes in the sewer though, I still have them."

"Anyone who doesn't believe me is welcome to come and see the ashes for themselves.

"I don't know what I will do with them, I will not be putting them in the woodland where he killed his mother though."

Mr Mawson's car tyres were recently slashed and paint stripper poured across the bodywork.

The rear car window was also smashed with a brick, together with the living room window, showering him in glass.

In a suicide note, Mr Blakey said he had killed his wheelchair-bound mother because he could not bear to see her suffer from multiple sclerosis, an illness she had lived with for years.

But he rejected the claim, saying his partner of 26 years enjoyed life and did not want to die.

Mr Mawson, who paid for Mr Blakey's funeral, said: "I cannot understand why he had to take his mother with him, taking Jean was just an excuse to kill himself."

He added that he had been devastated over the death of his pigeons, which he shared with a friend in a loft on allotments in Crook.

"They were the only thing I had left after Jean went," he added.

"It is devastating but I have got no tears left in me because of I have spent them all on Jean."

* Three men have been arrested by police in connection with the incidents and bailed pending further enquiries.