Crook killer's friends told to leave mother out of memorial plans (From The Northern Echo)

Crook killer's friends told to leave mother out of memorial plans

4:50pm Sunday 3rd February 2013 in News By Duncan Leatherdale

THE girlfriend of a man who shot his mother before turning the gun on himself has been told to leave his victim out of plans to erect a memorial in his name.

Ian Blakey killed his mother 55-year-old disabled mother, Jean, in their hometown of Crook, County Durham, last year.

His girlfriend, Samantha Peacock nows wants a memorial bench putting in place so she has something to remember the killer by.

However, speaking to The Northern Echo today (Sunday, February 4), Jean Blakey's partner, Harry Mawson, said: "She can do as she likes as long as she keeps Jean out of it.”

Ms Peacock was in a relationship with Blakey, 34, for seven months.

Hours before he shot his mother he posted a suicide note through her door revealing his plan.

Mr Blakey picked his mother Jean up at about 11am on Saturday, April 28, to take her out shopping and then for a pub lunch.

Twenty minutes later he called police to say he had killed Mrs Blakey, who had Multiple Sclerosis, and that he was going to shoot himself.

Officers found the pair’s bodies and that of Mr Blakey’s favourite Lurcher, Brook, in a car parked in woodland next to Crook Golf Club, barely a mile from their homes on the town’s Watergate Estate.

At their inquests, County Durham coroner Andrew Tweddle heard parts of the note in Which Mr Blakey said he could not bear to see his mother, who relied on a wheelchair, to suffer so decided to end her life.

But friends of Mrs Blakey, including her partner of 26 years Mr Mawson, said Mrs Blakey enjoyed life to its fullest and would never have wanted to die.

Ms Peacock said she knows emotions are still running high in Crook over the issue, but said those that knew Blakey best would remember him positively.

She said: “I am trying to save enough money to buy a memorial bench so his friends will have somewhere to go where they can remember him.

“I know he did wrong, but he did love his mum and that’s the only reason I think he did it."

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