Woodmancote murders: Mum waved to neighbour hours before she was shot with her kids by partner at home
A MUM waved a final goodbye to a neighbour hours before she was gunned down with her children by her partner.
Kelly Fitzgibbons, 40, Robert Needham, 42, and daughters Ava, four and Lexi, two, were found dead at their home in Woodmancote, West Sussex, in a murder-suicide.
FINAL GOODBYE
Builder Mr Needham is believed to have gone on the gun rampage after becoming stressed over coronavirus cash worries.
He is thought to have shot his children and partner in their beds and then killed the family's dog before turning the weapon on himself in the upstairs bedroom.
Neighbour Daniel Silvester-Worrall was the last person to see mum-of-two Ms Fitzgibbons in chilling scenes before the horrific shooting.
The former military police officer told SunOnline: “When I was going down the lane, I actually recall seeing someone was in the window.
"It was Kelly, shortly before the incident, standing in the left window downstairs so I acknowledged her and gave a little wave.
I actually recall seeing someone was in the window. It was Kelly, shortly before the incident, so I acknowledged her and gave a little wave.
Daniel Silvester-Worrall
"I was potentially one of the last people to have seen her."
Mr Silvester-Worrall, who served for 18 years in the Royal Military Police's Special Investigation Branch, added: "As an ex-copper, I can deal with a lot of things but I'll never get my head round a parent wanting to harm their children.
“I'll never understand that.
"As a father, you're there to protect your family, not the other way round.
"Whether it was anything to do with the isolation period, I don't know."
HOUSE OF HORRORS
Today tributes and cuddly toys have been left close to the family’s £600k home in the rural village, near Chichester.
Locals have been stunned by the horrific scenes.
But one neighbour described Mr Needham as a “bully” and a “nasty piece of work” who she wanted to avoid.
Mr Silvester-Worrall, 44, lived just across the road from the family and remembered them as “quite affable and very pleasant”.
I'll never get my head round a parent wanting to harm their children. I'll never understand that.
Daniel Silvester-Worrall
He added: "She [Ms Fitzgibbons] was more so pleasant.
"He [MrNeedham] was more interested in getting the dog out of his driveway but she always said hello to George. The kids were lovely.
"It's just so shocking and awful. These things do sadly happen but it makes it all so real when it's on your doorstep.”
Sussex Police have not commented on how the family died but are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.
Across the country, there have been at least three other killings possibly linked to stresses around the covid-19 outbreak.
And domestic violence groups have warned it is creating rising tensions in homes.
FAMILY TRAGEDY
Just two days before she died, Ms Fitzgibbons had shared a pic on Facebook of her and the girls taking Staffordshire bull terrier Bill for a walk in a nearby field.
She captioned it “Our walk for the day”, adding two love hearts.
The family were said to be living with Mr Needham’s mother Maureen, who owns the house they were staying in.
He was worried about the lockdown and work drying up.
Source
However, she was self-isolating during the outbreak and was not at home when the shooting took place on Monday night.
Ms Needham – who started living with her son after her husband died a year ago – confirmed the family's death on Facebook.
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Just hours after they were discovered by a neighbour, she wrote on Facebook: “It was Robert, Kelly and my lovely grandchildren that all died upstairs.”
A source said Mr Needham "was worried about the lockdown and work drying up".
They added: “It’s not been confirmed that was the motive but it had been playing on his mind.”
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