Picture of happiness... ‘perfect’ family from Leeds house of slaughter

SMILING and seemingly happy, junior football coach Richard Smith is pictured just months before he went on a murderous rampage at the family home, stabbing his wife, their children and then killing himself.

Smith, 37, is thought to have killed wife Clair, 36, Aaron, one, and Ben, nine, at their new home in Pudsey, Leeds.

All four bodies were found laid on the double bed in the main bedroom, which the father had set ablaze, leading to his own death from smoke inhalation.

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They were discovered on Sunday evening by a family member and a friend who went round to the house.

Mrs Smith and Aaron each died from a single stab wound to the chest, Ben suffered a stab wound to the chest but died of suffocation.

Detectives were last night still trying to piece together the circumstances which led a man to slaughter his “perfect family”.

Detective Superintendent Paul Taylor said Ben’s unopened advent calendar was one clue to when the killings happened.

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Mr Taylor said the family were last seen at 11pm on Friday when they left a function at Pudsey St Lawrence Cricket Club by taxi.

The detective said: “Ben’s advent calendar is not opened on the Saturday so we believe something’s happened overnight Friday or the early hours of Saturday but, of course, if anybody else has any information that would contradict that we would very much want to hear from them.”

Mr Taylor said officers were talking to people who were at the party but confirmed there had been no reports of anything unusual.

Reports that Smith was seen cleaning his car on Sunday – possibly after the killings – have been rejected by police.

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Mr Taylor said that he was not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths. A number of items had been found in the house which could be used as weapons, he said.

He declined to speculate about what prompted the killings.

“What the state of mind of Richard, Clair or anybody else was will be a matter we’ll be trying to investigate. It’s not for me to guess now.”

Mrs Smith’s parents, Alan and Norma Robinson, said: “Clair was an exceptional person, loving and caring to everyone.

“She was a loving mum, her children were her life, and everything centred around her family and home. She was our daughter and our best pal. We cannot imagine what caused this tragedy.”

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Relatives described the Smiths as a “perfect family” with no apparent problems.

At Ben’s school, counsellors are helping children to come to terms with the tragedy.

Greenside Primary headteacher Janet Howard said the school was “in shock and deeply saddened”.

“Ben was a wonderful, bright pupil who thoroughly enjoyed coming to school. He loved to help others, was a member of our school council and was a really popular boy, not just with his friends but across the whole school.

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“This tragic loss is being felt across the whole of the local community, and we are doing everything we can to support the children and each other at this very difficult time.”

Richard Brown, secretary of Pudsey St Lawrence Cricket Club, said: “Richard was a lovely, smiling man, he would always take time to talk to you.

“He had a lot of friends at the club. He was a very nice family man.

“I don’t know what has happened. It is horrendous.”

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