Boy watches father commit suicide

An inquest has heard how a seven-year-old boy watched his father stab his mother before killing himself at their West Yorkshire home in Tingley.
Before the attack, Jason Beckett, 31, told his son that he was going to kill his former partner Michaela Johnson. She survived with multiple stab wounds. The inquest at Leeds Coroner's Court heard Mr Beckett had been treated for depression after the couple split.

Coroner David Hinchliff recorded a verdict of suicide.

Die together

The court heard the attack happened after Mr Beckett had told a friend he wanted a gun so that he, Miss Johnson and their three children - two girls aged nine and five, and the boy - could die together.

At the time of the attack, in April last year, the couple had been separated despite several attempts at reconciliation.

During their eight year relationship, Miss Johnson had suffered mental and physical abuse but remained friends for the sake of the children.


He had a desire his family should all die together
Coroner David Hinchliff
On the day of the attack, Mr Beckett had been out with the children before going to Miss Johnson's house.

In a statement read out to the court, Miss Johnson said: "Jason came towards me with the knife and I was getting very scared. He said 'if I can't have you, no-one else ever will'.

"My son came into the room and I screamed at him to go and get help. Jason told him that he was going to kill me."

Enormity

As Miss Johnson escaped with multiple stab wounds to her head, chest and back, her son saw Mr Beckett stab himself before collapsing in the doorway.

He had stabbed himself eight times in the chest, upper abdomen and neck.

Mr Hinchcliff said: "He had a desire his family should all die together.

"It showed he was thinking in terms of a violent act both against his partner and himself but there is no suggestion at all that he ever used violence against his children.

"When Jason Beckett was faced with the enormity of what he had done to Miss Johnson - and he had no idea whether these wounds would be fatal - he then turned his knife on himself."