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| Retired police officer and partner found shot dead in Devizes | Retired police officer and partner found shot dead in Devizes |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A man found shot dead alongside his female partner was a retired police inspector of 30 years' service, police have said. | A man found shot dead alongside his female partner was a retired police inspector of 30 years' service, police have said. |
| The pair were found dead at a property in Devizes, Wiltshire, on Saturday morning after neighbours heard shots and alerted the police. | The pair were found dead at a property in Devizes, Wiltshire, on Saturday morning after neighbours heard shots and alerted the police. |
| Detective Chief Inspector Ian Saunders said on Sunday that the man retired about five or six years ago. | Detective Chief Inspector Ian Saunders said on Sunday that the man retired about five or six years ago. |
| The detective confirmed that the woman was the man's partner. | The detective confirmed that the woman was the man's partner. |
| Saunders said the bodies had been discovered inside the porch of the house on the Moonrakers estate. | Saunders said the bodies had been discovered inside the porch of the house on the Moonrakers estate. |
| "The investigation has so far identified that yesterday morning some neighbours overheard a number of gunshots from the address," he said. | "The investigation has so far identified that yesterday morning some neighbours overheard a number of gunshots from the address," he said. |
| "The investigation continues to try to establish what led to this tragic incident." | |
| "We understand him to be a retired police officer – he retired some five years ago from Wiltshire police service," said Saunders. "The female was not the wife of the retired officer; she is his partner. | "We understand him to be a retired police officer – he retired some five years ago from Wiltshire police service," said Saunders. "The female was not the wife of the retired officer; she is his partner. |
| "We have recovered a weapon from the scene. My working assumption is that weapons were discharged and the victims had sustained some form of gunshot wounds." | "We have recovered a weapon from the scene. My working assumption is that weapons were discharged and the victims had sustained some form of gunshot wounds." |
| Formal identification and postmortem examinations were due to take place later on Sunday but the couple were named locally as Bill Dowling and Vicky. | Formal identification and postmortem examinations were due to take place later on Sunday but the couple were named locally as Bill Dowling and Vicky. |
| One neighbour on the 50-property cul-de-sac, who asked not to be named, said she heard a single gunshot shortly before 8.40am on Saturday. | One neighbour on the 50-property cul-de-sac, who asked not to be named, said she heard a single gunshot shortly before 8.40am on Saturday. |
| She said: "I thought it sounded like a bang on my door. I didn't really think too much of it, so I went out to the shops. It was only a few hours later when I had a call from my son to come home that I put two and two together and realised what had happened." | She said: "I thought it sounded like a bang on my door. I didn't really think too much of it, so I went out to the shops. It was only a few hours later when I had a call from my son to come home that I put two and two together and realised what had happened." |
| She said Dowling lived alone at the two-storey property but was regularly visited by his partner. | She said Dowling lived alone at the two-storey property but was regularly visited by his partner. |
| The neighbour said: "People always say this, but they were both lovely, nice people. He was very friendly, would say hello and ask how we were. | The neighbour said: "People always say this, but they were both lovely, nice people. He was very friendly, would say hello and ask how we were. |
| "He was a good neighbour, and she seemed very friendly too. I just can't believe what has happened." | "He was a good neighbour, and she seemed very friendly too. I just can't believe what has happened." |
| Dowling is thought to be 59, a few years older than his partner. | Dowling is thought to be 59, a few years older than his partner. |
| One man who lived nearby said he believed Dowling had a firearms licence. | One man who lived nearby said he believed Dowling had a firearms licence. |
| He said: "I have known him for more than a decade and he was into shooting. | He said: "I have known him for more than a decade and he was into shooting. |
| "I'd seen him load what looked like a big gun case into his car a few times. I think he went pheasant shooting. | "I'd seen him load what looked like a big gun case into his car a few times. I think he went pheasant shooting. |
| "It was a big gun – it looked like it could've been a shotgun or something. He had long had an interest in shooting but over the last couple of months I saw him in his shooting gear a lot more." | "It was a big gun – it looked like it could've been a shotgun or something. He had long had an interest in shooting but over the last couple of months I saw him in his shooting gear a lot more." |
| The neighbour added: "It just doesn't make sense. They were a lovely couple, and he had recently spent a lot of money doing up the house." | The neighbour added: "It just doesn't make sense. They were a lovely couple, and he had recently spent a lot of money doing up the house." |
| It is understood police were called after a neighbour noticed blood splattered on a ground-floor window facing the road. | |
| The man declined to comment when contacted on Sunday. | |
| On Sunday afternoon police were guarding the entrance to Dowling's garden at the front of the house, while forensic work was being undertaken inside a tent at the front of the terraced building. | |
| Officers are not looking for anybody else in connection with the shootings. | Officers are not looking for anybody else in connection with the shootings. |