Dad, 35, killed his daughter, two, in ‘murder suicide’ on Father’s Day
EXCLUSIVE Dad, 35, killed his toddler daughter, two, in 'murder suicide' by driving into the path of a lorry on Father's Day 'after breaking up with her mother'
- Ashley Henry, 35, and little Oria, who turned two in April, died on their way home
- Initially treated as a straightforward collision but police now say Oria murdered
A father killed his toddler daughter by driving into the path of a lorry on Father's Day – after the breakdown of his relationship with her mother.
Company director Ashley Henry, 35, and little Oria, who turned two in April, died on their way home from a weekend away at the seaside.
The tragedy was initially treated as a straightforward collision.
But on Tuesday afternoon Lincolnshire Police said that after 'careful consideration', detectives had launched a murder investigation into the toddler's death on Sunday.
The force is not looking for anybody else in connection with the double death, and said the lorry driver was not a suspect.
It is understood that the collision was caught on a dash cam.
Oria's mother Rachael Leader, who works in global procurement for soft drinks goliath PepsiCo, appeared on Channel 4's dating show spin-off First Dates Hotel in 2020.
Rachael, Oria and Ashley Henry all pictured together before the tragedy unfolded this week
Little Oria's death is now being treated as a murder after she was killed in a car crash days ago
The 32-year-old was being comforted by her parents in their executive home in the Leicestershire village of Broughton Astley today. Oria was her only child.
Miss Leader's mother, Judith, 65, said the family were too upset to comment.
But on Facebook, Miss Leader reposted a police update confirming the investigation was now a murder inquiry, alongside the comment 'my baby' and crying and broken heart emojis.
On Instagram she wrote alongside a picture of her smiling daughter: '(The) circumstances are being treated as Murder/Suicide.
'My poor baby. You were taken from me by an evil force. A sick man, a man that I trusted with your life only for it be taken away by him in such a horrific way.
Mother Rachael and Oria Henry pictured together before the young girl's murder by her father
'Oria, I am so sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you.
'My pain will be turned into purpose, I promise you that. I love you sweetheart. See you in heaven, baby girl.'
A friend replied: 'Horrifying, how can someone do this to an innocent child? It's been on my mind constantly Rachael, can't stop thinking about you all.'
Before police announced they were treating Oria's death as a murder, Miss Leader told friends on the platform that the father and daughter had died in a car crash while 'travelling back from Skegness'.
A source confirmed Miss Leader and Mr Henry – a manager for a firm selling medicinal mushrooms, according to Companies House - had separated, but could not confirm when.
His father, Paul Henry, wrote on Facebook on Tuesday underneath a picture of his son and granddaughter: 'Can't believe lost my son granddaughter never be the same person again.'
The Henry family, from Leicester, did not wish to comment today.
A villager in Anwick also said he had heard the couple had separated, adding: 'The lorry swerved into a dyke in a bid to avoid the car, which was driving straight towards it on the lorry's side of the road.'
He said the lorry was fully loaded with chilled chicken from a local processing plant. Lincolnshire Police appealed for witnesses to the collision to come forward, adding: 'We have launched a murder investigation after a fatal collision between a lorry and a car in Anwick.
'Driver Ashley Henry, 35, and passenger Oria Henry, 2, from Leicester were travelling along Main Road in a Blue Nissan Quashqai when the incident took place at around 2.45pm on Sunday, 18 June.
'Both were pronounced dead at the scene. 'Our investigation into the incident continues but after careful consideration we can confirm we have begun a murder investigation into the death of two-year-old Oria.
'We are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident but cannot provide further details at this time.
'Our thoughts remain with the family of those who lost their lives in this collision and specialist officers are supporting them at this difficult time.'
Last night a friend said she believed Miss Leader and Mr Henry had separated 'some time ago'
The friend said: 'Rachael is such a lovely, warm person.
'I don't know how they got together but it seemed a bit of a whirlwind. They hadn't been together for a while, possibly even before this time last year.
'Nobody can understand what has triggered Ashley to do this.'
References
- ^ Andy Dolan (www.dailymail.co.uk)