Inquests into sacked officer family deaths

Inquests into the deaths of a sacked police inspector and the wife and child he is believed to have killed were opened and adjourned by a coroner today.

Toby Day is thought to have launched a frenzied attack on his primary school teacher wife Samantha and daughter Genevieve, six, before taking his own life at the family home in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.

The couple's teenage children Kimberley, 15, and Adam, 13, were also injured in last Thursday's incident, which came just days after Mr Day lost his job at Leicestershire Police.

Trevor Kirkman, coroner for Rutland and North Leicestershire, opened the inquests in Loughborough.

A spokesman for the coroner said no witnesses were called and the hearing was adjourned pending further inquiries.

The inquests will be resumed next year on a date to be fixed.

Neighbours and colleagues were left shocked after the attack by the "respected" man, who police confirmed was fired for "matters concerning honesty and integrity".

The force said he was dismissed for misusing force computers but declined to comment on reports that Mr Day suspected his wife was having an affair and had used the police computer system to search for information.

Detectives were first alerted to the attack at about 4.20pm on Thursday over reports that Kimberley had been injured.

She was taken to hospital and officers forced their way into the family's house after receiving a second 999 call an hour later. They found the four remaining family members, but only one was alive.

Ivan Stafford, chairman of Leicestershire Police Federation, said Mr Day had been a "very capable and respected inspector".

"It's absolutely tragic what has happened," he said. "It's been a real shock to the country and to Melton."

Mr Day was once tipped for the top and three years ago ran the London Marathon in memory of a colleague murdered in a domestic stabbing.

Kimberley and Adam were taken to Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham where they remain in a stable condition.

Prayers were said for the family yesterday at the church where they worshipped.

A sermon and a statement on the incident were read at All Saints Parish Church in Oakham, Rutland.

Vicar the Rev Canon Lee Francis-Dehqani said he had known the family for seven years.

He said: "The service was very beautiful - we offered prayers for all of the family.

"People are clearly very shocked and distressed by these very tragic events and as Christians it is our job to pray for this family, who are very well-known in our community."

He said he was offering "ongoing pastoral support" to the teenage children who survived the attack.

PA