Bluestone family murders

The Bluestone family murders occurred in Gravesend, Kent, England on 28 August 2001.[1] Police officer Karl Bluestone murdered his wife Jill and two of the couple's children with a claw hammer before killing himself in the garage.[2] The two oldest children survived the attack.[3][4]

Bluestone family murders
Marling Way, Riverview Park, Gravesend
LocationGravesend, Kent, England
Date28 August 2001
Circa 10pm GMT
Attack type
Triple murder and suicide
WeaponClaw hammer
Deaths3
Injured2
VictimsJill Bluestone, Henry Bluestone, Chandler Bluestone
PerpetratorPC Karl Bluestone
MotiveFamilicide

Events

Karl Bluestone joined Kent Police in 1987.[5] He had a history of domestic violence,[4] had accused his wife of having an affair before the murders, and had bugged her car with a listening device.[6] In June 1999, he was arrested for injuring one of his children when he threw a cup across the room.[7] His wife Jill had run to call neighbours for help.[8]

On 28 August 2001, seven-year-old Jessica Bluestone ran to neighbours shouting "my daddy is trying to hurt me."[9] The police were called, and they arrived to the property, 92 Marling Way, in the Riverview Park area at 10pm, where they found the bludgeoned body of Jill Bluestone[10] Jill had suffered 30 blows to the head.[11] The couple's three-year-old son, Henry was found dead in his cot.[12]

Karl Bluestone was found hanging in the garage at the end of the garden.[9] The family's three other children were taken to the Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, where 18-month-old Chandler died of his injuries.[13] The couple's eight-year-old son, Jack, was transferred to London's Kings College Hospital with severe injuries.[14]

Victims

  • Jill Bluestone, 31
  • Henry Bluestone, 3
  • Chandler Bluestone, 1

The funerals of Jill Bluestone and her two sons were held at Nunthorpe Methodist Church in Middlesbrough on 7 September 2001.[5] Karl was given a separate burial.[15]

Inquest

The November 2001 inquest revealed that Bluestone attacked his family after his wife told him that she was leaving and taking the children with her.[16]

Parliament

The case was brought up in the House of Commons on 19 July 2002. Labour MP for Luton South Margaret Moran asked Minister of State for Policing John Denham how many domestic violence incidents Kent Police had recorded. The minister confirmed that four incidents had been recorded but no disciplinary action was undertaken in relation to any of them.[17]

Media coverage

Jeanette Winterson criticised the media coverage of the case.[12]

References
  1. "Joan Smith: What's a nice guy like Karl Bluestone doing in a crime". The Independent. 2001-09-01. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
  2. "Girl tells of family row before Pc killed wife and sons". www.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
  3. Yardley, Elizabeth; Wilson, David; Lynes, Adam (May 2014). "A Taxonomy of Male British Family Annihilators, 1980-2012: A Taxonomy of Male British Family Annihilators, 1980-2012". The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice. 53 (2): 117–140. doi:10.1111/hojo.12033. S2CID 143252822.
  4. "PC 'killed family with hammer'". 2001-11-06. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
  5. "Murder policeman's family laid to rest". 2001-09-07. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
  6. "PC killed wife and children with hammer". the Guardian. 2001-11-07. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
  7. Branigan, Tania (2001-08-31). "Strife frequent in home of killer PC". The Guardian. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
  8. "Why do we continue to tolerate domestic violence?". the Guardian. 2001-09-04. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
  9. "PC kills his wife and two children with hammer". The Independent. 2001-08-29. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
  10. "PC kills wife and sons with hammer". The Guardian. 2001-08-30. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
  11. "Why police officer killed wife and children". Kent Online. 6 November 2001. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
  12. Winterson, Jeanette (2001-09-04). "Why do we continue to tolerate domestic violence?". the Guardian. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
  13. "PC, wife and two sons die in 'murder-suicide'". Kent Online. 29 August 2001. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
  14. "Suicide policeman kills wife and sons". The Daily Telegraph. 29 August 2001. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
  15. "Killer policeman to be buried separate from family". Irish Examiner. 2001-09-04. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
  16. "'There will be no divorce - the only way out is death,' police officer". The Independent. 2001-11-07. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
  17. "19 July 2002 parliamentary debate". Hansard. 19 July 2002.
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