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Stourbridge stabbing: Lydia Wilkinson 'feared triple funeral' Stourbridge stabbings: Lydia Wilkinson 'feared triple funeral'
(35 minutes later)
Lydia Wilkinson, whose family was attacked by a homeless man they had befriended, feared she would be alone "planning a triple funeral". Lydia Wilkinson was in another county when she found out her whole family had been stabbed in a "frenzied" knife attack.
The 19-year-old student, whose mother and 13-year-old brother were stabbed to death, had rushed from her halls in Bristol to see her father, Peter, who was gravely injured in the same attack. The 19-year-old Bristol university student was in halls when her boyfriend called her about a stabbing in her hometown of Stourbridge, West Midlands.
Ms Wilkinson, a first-year biology student, was at university when Barley went into her family home in Stourbridge, West Midlands, brandishing a large knife on 30 March. Unknown to Lydia, Aaron Barley, a 23-year-old homeless man who had been taken in by the Wilkinsons, had armed himself with a knife and entered her family's home.
Aaron Barley, 23, admitted murdering Tracey and Pierce Wilkinson. He previously admitted attempting to murder Lydia's father, who he stabbed six times. "I remember typing into Google 'Stourbridge, stabbings," she said.
On the day of the killings, Lydia said she had been looking forward to returning home the next day and had promised to meet her brother from school. Man admits 'frenzied' mum and son murder
She had also planned to go dress shopping with her mum.
But a call from her boyfriend, who had read about a stabbing in Stourbridge, sent her into a state of panic.
"I remember typing into Google 'Stourbridge, stabbings' - this was around 10.30am so my mum and brother had already died by this point," she said.
"And the first link showed a photo of my house with police tape around it. I remember ringing him [my boyfriend] back and saying 'It's me, it's us, they've been stabbed'.""And the first link showed a photo of my house with police tape around it. I remember ringing him [my boyfriend] back and saying 'It's me, it's us, they've been stabbed'."
Officers arrived at her halls of residence that afternoon to tell her the devastating news. Lydia did not yet know Barley had killed her 13-year-old brother Pierce, and her mother, Tracey. Her father, Peter, was gravely wounded in the attack.
Ms Wilkinson said one of her friends had taken away her phone so she could not learn of the deaths. Shaken by what she had seen online, Lydia went into a friend's room, where she called the police. Her friend took her phone while they waited for officers to arrive.
"West Midlands [Police] got to me and asked what I knew - I said just that they have all been stabbed," she said."West Midlands [Police] got to me and asked what I knew - I said just that they have all been stabbed," she said.
"They said 'we are very sorry to tell you that your mum and brother have passed away and your dad is in theatre and we don't know whether he will survive or not, we have had no news'.""They said 'we are very sorry to tell you that your mum and brother have passed away and your dad is in theatre and we don't know whether he will survive or not, we have had no news'."
Ms Wilkinson arrived at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth hospital at about 17:00 GMT. Lydia, a first-year biology undergraduate, was set to return to the family home a day after the attack on 30 March.
She had promised to meet Pierce at his school gates, and was looking forward to going dress shopping with her mum, she said.
Instead, she found herself rushing to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, unaware if her father had survived.
"I remember coming back in the car from Bristol," she said. "I was planning a triple funeral and how I was going to go about that on my own."
About three hours after learning her mum and brother had died, Lydia arrived at her father's bedside.
"They took me to critical care and that was the first time I saw my dad - with countless machines hooked up to him, a lot of doctors around his bed," she said."They took me to critical care and that was the first time I saw my dad - with countless machines hooked up to him, a lot of doctors around his bed," she said.
"I remember thinking at that point in time that I was going to lose him as well because nobody could survive that state.""I remember thinking at that point in time that I was going to lose him as well because nobody could survive that state."
Ms Wilkinson was told by doctors her father was heavily sedated. "I thought he was going to pass away that night."
Ms Wilkinson said she held his hand and "thought that was going to be the last time I saw my dad alive". "I knew there was nothing I could do to help my mum and Pierce as they had tragically passed away, so my sole focus at that moment in time was my dad, because he was the only thing I had left in life."
However, her father woke up later that evening and she rushed back to see him. Lydia sat beside her father, who was under heavy sedation, holding his hand.
"He said that I was there and he opened his eyes and looked at me and then went back unconscious," she said.
"He woke up later on that evening."
"I started to hope that he was going to [pull through] because before that there was just no hope. I genuinely thought it was going to be just me," she said."I started to hope that he was going to [pull through] because before that there was just no hope. I genuinely thought it was going to be just me," she said.
"I remember coming back in the car from Bristol to the Queen Elizabeth. I was planning a triple funeral and how I was going to go about that on my own.
"And from that moment he started to come round.""And from that moment he started to come round."
Ms Wilkinson, who has continued her studies at Bristol, said she did not really talk to her father "about the outside world" until he came out of critical care. Lydia, who has since continued her studies at Bristol, said she did not really talk to her father "about the outside world" until he came out of critical care.
"He didn't know I had been to the house [to lay flowers] and he didn't know that I identified the bodies of my mum and brother," she said."He didn't know I had been to the house [to lay flowers] and he didn't know that I identified the bodies of my mum and brother," she said.
Lydia's dad said she had been his "absolute rock" in the aftermath of the murders. Lydia paid tribute to her mother, who had first met Barley when he was living on the streets. She found him meals and accommodation and let him temporarily stay in their home.
"Lydia's fortitude and strength and her love for me is beyond belief," he said.
Ms Wilkinson paid tribute to her caring mother, who had first met Barley when he was living on the streets. She found him meals and accommodation and let him temporarily stay in their home.
"To have my best friend taken from me in life at such a young age is a hardship I would never wish on anyone," she said."To have my best friend taken from me in life at such a young age is a hardship I would never wish on anyone," she said.
"Because it has to be the most awful experience. Especially when something happens… I can't ring her up any more.""Because it has to be the most awful experience. Especially when something happens… I can't ring her up any more."
After Barley admitted killing Pierce and Mrs Wilkinson, Lydia faced him in court.
Addressing the killer as he stood in the dock, she said: "My parents helped you - you repaid them with destruction and heartache.
"You have obliterated my life, murdered half my family, very nearly all of it, and for this I will never forgive you."