Atherstone on Stour Fire - Families Press Conference Thursday 31 May 2012: family and fiance of Ashley Stephens

Please find below Statement made by the family of Ashley Stephens

This is followed by a statement made by Emma Elizabeth Crocker - Ashley’s fiancé at the time of his death and the mother of his son

Statement read by Alex Lynch the police liaison officer for the family of Ashley Stephens

I have here a statement, which I read on behalf of Paul, Sharon, Kerry and Shaun Stephens.

The 15 June 1987 gave us a new light in our lives with the birth of our son Ashley.

On the 2 November 2007 that light was turned off when Ashley died, fighting a warehouse fire at Atherstone on Stour.

The last 4 years for us as a family have been just too difficult and emotional to describe.

As his father, and at the time a serving fire fighter being present at the incident and having witnessed the horrendous scene on that night, has left me with images that will stay with me forever.

Images so strong I have not been able to attend the court hearing.

The loss of Ashley has left such a big hole in our hearts that it is impossible to mend.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service gave us unlimited support up until the charges were brought against three of their Officers, after that it seemed we were on the wrong side and support dwindled down to nothing.

To hear the Chief Fire Officer speak to the press saying their thoughts were with the families was very hypocritical as the only family support shown has been to the defendants families.

Ashley loved being part of the fire service and wanted to become a full time fire fighter.

It seems so unjust that the full time officers he would have looked up to have let him down so badly.

We would like to thank our police liaison officers for their support throughout the case and the constant updates from court during the trial and also all the support of our local town over the last four years.

Statement by Emma Crocker, fiancee of Ashley Stephens and mother to their son George, reasd by Ilse Tarbuck (family liaison officer).

I am the mother of Ashley Stephen’s son, who is now four years old. At the time of the fire at Atherstone on Stour in November 2007, Ashley and I were engaged to be married.

Our son George was three months old and we had our whole life together to look forward to.

Ashley was the love of my life and we had been together since I was 14 years old. I loved him so much and we had so many plans and he was taken from me.

Trying to cope with mine and Ashley’s son when he was killed was so hard.

Throughout the past four and a half years George has had no dad and as he has got older I have been distraught when he has asked questions like ‘Where’s my daddy?’ ‘When is he coming home ?’ It breaks my heart telling him his daddy never will come home. He will never meet him and he has no memory of him.

Me and my family have all tried to keep strong for all this time, but going to court and seeing those men that sent my man in to die, takes me back to that night – the night I found out that he had been killed.

Seeing my little boy growing up on my own is horrible and I know Ashley would be so proud of him – but he will never see him.

Those men sent Ashley, Darren, Ian and John in to die. They sent them into a fire that they should never have gone in to. It was too hot, too far away from the entrance and they didn’t have enough information about what they were dealing with. The boys went in because they were following orders – wrong orders. It was so obviously unsafe.

These men will always be guilty in my eyes. They were at fault on the night and all I wanted was for the defendants and Warwickshire fire and Rescue Service to hold their hands up and admit their mistakes and so that people can learn from it.

I just don’t want anything like this to ever happen again – but that has been said before eg Bethnal Green and look what happened – to us.

I would not wish this on my worst enemy – the heartache and the suffering.

Warwickshire Police have helped so much and supported us every step of the way and have got us some of the answers we need. WFRS haven’t supported me personally in any way, shape or form and the FBU are disgusting. Not once during the trial have anyone of them said anything. We see the Chief as well at court and he has said nothing – not even ‘Hello’.

My relationships with the fire-fighters who Ashley worked with are non-existent. Me and my family don’t expect to be tip-toed around or anything, but I walk down the street and some cross the road so they don’t have to say anything.

When we had George christened he had 20 God parents of which 80% were firefighters and their wives, few of which now say hello or even ask George if he is okay.

This is because the defendants have been taken to court and they have been taken to court because there was overwhelming evidence that they did wrong on 2nd November 2007, but people refuse to accept this.

The fire service was once my family and its all fizzled out now. I understand people have to move on but I never can.

I would like to think that the investigation will help the fire service but I don’t think they want to know, they are ignorant to their mistakes.

I have fully supported the police investigation because without it we wouldn’t have got the answers we so desperately needed. I just wish the defendants could have been more honest, if they had any loyalty to my Ashley and his dead colleagues they would have told the truth.

They have damaged my life forever and damaged my little boys life forever.

ends

A video of the statements has been uploaded on to YouTube:

Atherstone-on-Stour fire:victims' families speak out - Emma Crocker and her father Ian http://youtu.be/I-mfe9bhejs