A son has been charged with the murder of his divorced parents after they were found stabbed to death 15 miles apart in the Cotswolds.
William Warrington, 40, has been charged with the murder of Clive and Valerie Warrington, Gloucestershire Police said on Friday.
Divorced couple Clive, 67, and Valerie, 73, were found dead at two locations, 15 miles apart, in the Cotswolds on Wednesday morning.
Mr Warrington was found dead at Sherborne Place in Cheltenham at 6.25am while Ms Warrington was found a short time later at an address in the village of Bourton-on-the-Water, which is about 15 miles from Cheltenham.
Warrington, of Cheltenham, has been remanded in custody and will appear at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, the force confirmed.
William Warrington, 40, has been charged with the murder of Clive (left) and Valerie (right) Warrington, Gloucestershire Police said on Friday
Friends and family have paid tribute to the victims and left loving messages and flowers at Ms Warrington’s property on the A429 in Bourton-on-the-water, Gloucestershire (pictured)
Surgeon Charlie Chan (pictured) worked with Ms Warrington for 13 years at Cheltenham General Hospital where she was his personal assistant
Gloucestershire Police said both victims were found with stab wounds and they are not seeking anyone else in connection with the deaths.
In a statement, the force said: ‘William Warrington, 40, and of St George’s Street, Cheltenham, has today been charged with the murder of his parents, Clive Warrington, aged 67, and Valerie Warrington, aged 73.
‘Clive’s body was discovered by police at an address on Sherborne Place, Cheltenham, while Valerie’s body was found at an address on Whiteshoots Hill, Bourton-on-the-Water, on Wednesday morning (2 March).
‘Warrington has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court tomorrow, Saturday 5 March.’
On Thursday, Mr and Mrs Warrington’s children released a statement thanking ‘everyone for their messages’, which they said have been a ‘great comfort’ for them.
They said: ‘We are devastated by the sudden and tragic loss of our parents.
‘We thank everyone for their messages of love and support, which are of great comfort to us.
‘We would like to request privacy at this time so that we can come to terms with what has happened and grieve in peace with the rest of the family.’
On Thursday, Mr and Mrs Warrington’s children released a statement thanking ‘everyone for their messages’, which they said have been a ‘great comfort’ for them
The children of the divorced couple said: ‘We thank everyone for their messages of love and support, which are of great comfort to us. We would like to request privacy at this time so that we can come to terms with what has happened and grieve in peace with the rest of the family’
Shocked friends and family have paid tribute to the victims and left loving messages and flowers on the A429 in Bourton-on-the-water, Gloucestershire.
This included surgeon Charlie Chan, who worked with Ms Warrington for 13 years at Cheltenham General Hospital, where she was his personal assistant.
Writing on Facebook, he said: ‘I am totally heartbroken at this news.
‘Val was my PA for 13 years and we shared lots of happy times. Clive did work on our house and I watched their kids grow up. What has the world come to?’
Mr Chan also came to lay flowers outside Ms Warrington’s house today.
Speaking afterwards he he laid the floral tribute, he added: ‘Val became my secretary in 2000 when I first came to Cheltenham and we worked together until 2013 when I left and Val went to work in the cardiology department.
‘In fact she still was still working in the cardiology department until the sad events of Tuesday morning.
‘She was just the most lovely person, kind, caring, loyal, always smiling and actually nothing was ever too much trouble.
‘She always put others first, which was true at work and in the family.’
Police outside a property in Sherborne Place, Cheltenham, where the body of Mr Warrington was discovered at 6.25am today
Forensic officers at the scene in Bourton-on-the-Water where the body of Ms Warrington was found on Wednesday morning
Yesterday, superintendent Roddy Gosden gave a brief press conference outside the flat in Cheltenham where Mr Warrington was found, and said: ‘At around 6.25am today, emergency services received a call to Sherborne Place in Cheltenham, with a report of a serious assault.
‘Officers arrived to find a man in his 60s with stab wounds. He was declared dead at the scene by paramedics.
‘Following concerns for the welfare of a second person, officers visited a property in Whiteshoots Hill in Bourton-on-the-Water. They discovered the body of a woman in her 70s who had also suffered stab wounds.
‘A man from Cheltenham has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with both deaths, which are being linked by detectives. The suspect was arrested near to the scene in Cheltenham.
‘The victims were known to him and officers are not currently looking for anyone else in connection with the ongoing investigation.
‘Family members have been informed and our thoughts go out to them at this devastating time. They are now receiving support from specially trained officers.
‘Cordons will remain in place in a number of areas over the coming days as officers continue their investigation.
‘We are appealing for anyone who may have information which could assist us to please come forward.
A man, believed to be in his 40s and ‘known to the victims’, has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in police custody
‘This has been a challenging situation and we will be providing support to officers and all those who have been impacted by these incidents.
‘Understandably people will be shocked to hear that two lives have been lost in such a tragic way.
‘Over the coming days, officers will be in the local communities to provide reassurance and we would encourage anyone with concerns to speak to us.’
Mr Warrington was found dead in a ground floor flat in a mid-terrace house which was understood to have been divided into four flats.
A man in his fifties who lives in the flat above the deceased said: ‘I’m devastated – the man who died has been my best friend for the last ten years.’
A spokesman for Gloucestershire Police added: ‘The Major Crime Investigation Team is in the early stages of an investigation and officers are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with information to make contact with police.
‘Investigating officers are also keen to hear from anyone who may have dashcam or CCTV footage that could be relevant to the investigation.’
Witnesses can contact police on 101 quoting incident 57 on March 2, or via Gloucestershire Police’s website.
