‘Three beautiful angels’ Crazed father bludgeons his wife and children to death
TRIBUTES have been paid to “three beautiful angels” after a crazed father bludgeoned and knifed his wife and two children to death.
Geraldine, Shane and Shannon Newman were found dead in the house
Paul Newman, 42, repeatedly stabbed Shane, six, and Shannon, 11, in a murderous rage, then laid out their bodies in an upstairs bedroom in their family home.
The “house husband” had already battered his estranged wife Geraldine, 51, to death using a hammer to smash her skull in their smart three-bedroom terraced home in Allerton Bywater, near Leeds.
Paul Newman laid his children's bodies out in a bedroom
He later killed himself. The bloodbath was discovered before lunchtime on Tuesday after the children failed to attend school. Head teachers have paid tribute to the murdered pupils. Helen Gilroy, of St Wilfrid’s Catholic High School, said: “Shannon was an intelligent, enthusiastic, hardworking and caring girl.
Shane was a caring, lovable young boy
She was very popular and will be greatly missed.” Sarah Spencer, of St Joseph’s Catholic Primary, in Castleford, said: “Shane was a caring, lovable young boy, full of fun, who enjoyed school and made many friends.”
Yesterday family and friends laid flowers for the “one in a million” mother and Disney balloons for the children. One note left by colleagues outside her home said: “Heaven has three beautiful angels.”
Distraught work colleague Gina Newman described Geraldine as a “lovely lady” who was very “proud of her children”.
A vigil held for the family by members of the local community
After the attack the killer drove 180 miles to his in-laws’ remote north Wales home on the Isle of Anglesey where he stripped and leapt to his death.
His body was found half-way down the headland on Tuesday evening. It is thought the beauty spot – South Stack at Holyhead – is where he proposed to Geraldine prior to their 2002 marriage.
Yesterday distraught relatives released a picture of Geraldine and her children.
Paul Newman drove over a hundred miles before jumping to his death in Anglesey
Newman had a history of domestic violence against his Geraldine, serving 17 weeks in jail for a vicious attack in October 2013. After neighbours had reported screams, officers arrived to find Newman jumping on his wife’s head.
She had fallen to the ground under a barrage of kicks. Leeds magistrates convicted him of assault by battery.
After being freed from jail, the relationship resumed and although police have subsequently attended incidents no more charges were brought. The couple split before Christmas.