Lorry-death girl'should havebeen at home'

Stacey Lawrence’s body was found in the cab of a white lorry parked in a lay-by in Warmington, Northants, last summer.

She had been on a delivery run with her mother’s fianc Darren Walker, 40, whose body was found hanging in nearby woodland.

Recording a verdict of unlawful killing at her inquest at Kettering Magistrates’ Court, Northamptonshire coroner Anne Pember told Stacey’s mother, Roxanne Lawrence, that she was sorry for her loss.

“You entrusted her to the man you loved and who was your fianc .I make no criticism of you, you could not have contemplated that such a tragedy could befall her.

“Any parent should be aware that sleeping in a lorry cab is not an appropriate place for a nine-year-old girl who in my view should be safely tucked up in her bed at home.”

Stacey was found in the cab of the lorry after concerns were raised when she and Walker did not return home.

Police called to the lorry, which was parked in a lay-by off the A605, found the schoolgirl lying in the bed of the cab with a piece of black strapping round her neck.

The inquest heard the youngster was underneath a duvet in the “unkempt” cab.

Home Office pathologist Prof Guy Rutty, who carried out a post mortem examination on Stacey, told the inquest cause of death was ligature strangulation.

He said there were no marks to suggest Stacey had struggled or had been the victim of a violent assault, but confirmed that if she had been restrained with a duvet covering her body, it would have left no marks.

The inquest heard that swabs taken from Stacey showed traces of semen matching Walker’s DNA.

A statement from Stacey’s mother said she had never had any reasons for concern over her fianc’s relationship with her daughter.

In the statement, read out by the coroner, she said the pair had been on four or five trips in the lorry together.

She said Stacey had showed an interest in Walker’s lorry driving and asked to go with him, first going in February 2009.

She said: “I had no concerns about this as she told me how much she enjoyed it. She said she and Darren would chat a lot about being a family.

“She loved the picnics and the food treats she would have.”

She said Walker would always sleep in the front passenger seat with his trousers on, while Stacey slept in the cab.

In the early hours of Friday, August 28, Ms Lawrence said she woke Stacey and helped get her ready for the trip.

The last thing she said to her was to have a nice time.

Ms Lawrence said she spoke to her daughter and Walker several times during Friday morning and last heard Stacey’s voice in the background during a conversation with Walker just after 7pm that evening.

“I heard Stacey in the background talking about liking a programme called My Family,” she said. “Stacey sounded happy and gave me no cause for concern.”

She added: “I can’t believe on that Friday morning Darren left our home address as the man I loved and by Saturday he was the man responsible for my daughter’s death.

A suicide verdict was recorded at an inquest into the death of Darren Walker last week.