A British couple shot dead in their home in a suspected revenge killing had called a police officer about a prowler just minutes before they were murdered, police said today.
Joan Stirland (53) and husband John (55) were found dead in their bungalow in the seaside village of Trusthorpe, Lincolnshire, on Sunday. Police suspect they were killed to avenge a murder committed by Mrs Stirland's son in Nottingham.
Mr Peter Davies, Lincolnshire's Assistant Chief Constable, said Joan had called an officer in Nottinghamshire at 2 p.m. to report a neighbour had seen a man lurking outside her house late the previous evening.
Detectives say the couple were murdered between 2 and 2.30 p.m., but their bodies were only discovered hours later when Lincolnshire police officers went to the estate where the Stirlands lived to investigate the prowler report.
Mr Davies defended the lack of immediate action saying Joan Stirland did not report the prowler to local police as she did not want her neighbours to be aware of the couple's background.
The Stirlands fled to Trusthorpe from Nottingham after their home was attacked and shots fired through the windows in September 2003.
Mr Davies said Joan had kept in touch with Nottinghamshire police and had last contacted them in July this year after her son Michael O'Brien was jailed for life for murdering Marvyn Bradshaw outside a Nottingham pub.
Witnesses told police they saw two men wearing blue boiler suits at the Stirland's bungalow at the time of the murder. They were seen driving off in a dark coloured car, which was later found burning a few miles away.