Pudsey murders: Funeral of mother and 2 sons stabbed to death by father

  • Richard Smith attacked wife Clair and sons Ben, nine, and Aaron, one, at their home in West Yorkshire
  • Smith died of smoke inhalation after setting fire to bedroom where all four bodies were found
  • He was not cremated with his family during service in Leeds today

By
Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 8:42 PM on 3rd January 2012

The funeral of a mother and her two young sons who are thought to have been stabbed to death by the boys’ father took place today.

Through heavy rain and high winds, the coffins of Clair Smith, 36, Ben, nine, and Aaron, one, were brought to Rawdon Crematorium in Leeds in two hearses.

Clair’s husband, Richard, 37, is believed to have attacked his family at their home in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, before setting light to the main bedroom a day later and killing himself by smoke inhalation. He was not cremated with his family.

Two hearses carrying the coffin of Claire Smith (front) and those of her two children, Ben, nine, and Aaron, one, arrive at Rawdon Crematorium, Leeds, for their funeral service today

Two hearses carrying the coffin of Claire Smith (front) and those of her two children, Ben, nine, and Aaron, one, arrive at Rawdon Crematorium, Leeds, for their funeral service today

The tiny white coffin for baby Aaron and a bigger one for Ben, adorned with a football made of flowers in tribute to the soccer-mad youngster, are carried to the service

The tiny white coffin for baby Aaron and a bigger one for Ben, adorned with a football made of flowers in tribute to the soccer-mad youngster, are carried to the service

The first black hearse held a traditional wooden coffin for Clair, followed by the second which contained two small white coffins, a tiny one for baby Aaron and a bigger one for Ben on top of which was a football made of flowers in tribute to the soccer-mad youngster.

The cars slowly pulled down a winding drive to the crematorium, surrounded by a heavy woodland, for a private gathering to pay tribute to the tragic family.

After the hour-long service, mourners young and old, dressed in black and wrapped up to brave the windy day, left the crematorium, many arm-in-arm to support each other.

A murder inquiry was launched last month after police said the family were found dead together on a double bed in the fire-damaged main bedroom of their home in Sheridan Way, Pudsey, on Sunday, December 11.

Richard Smith (pictured) killed his wife Clair, also pictured here with Ben, nine, and Aaron, one, at the family home in Pudsey, West Yorkshire in December. He was not cremated with his family

Richard Smith (pictured) killed his wife Clair, also pictured here with Ben, nine, and Aaron, one, at the family home in Pudsey, West Yorkshire in December. He was not cremated with his family

Ben was pictured in his local paper a few weeks before this death dressed up in a Pudsey Bear outift as part of a charity day at Greenside Primary School in Pudsey, West Yorks

Ben was pictured in his local paper a few weeks before this death dressed up in a Pudsey Bear outift as part of a charity day at Greenside Primary School in Pudsey, West Yorks

Leeds Coroner David Hinchliff
confirmed that Aaron had died from a stab wound to the neck, which
severed his carotid artery and jugular vein.

Mr
Hinchliff said Ben died from suffocation due to the obstruction of his
airway and smoke inhalation, while police said he had also been stabbed.

Mrs
Smith died from a stab wound to the chest and ‘external compression to
the neck’ and the coroner said Mr Smith died from smoke inhalation.

Detective
Superintendent Paul Taylor, of West Yorkshire Police, said Ben’s
unopened advent calendar was one clue to when the killings happened.

Members of the public look at the tributes left at the police cordon in Pudsey, Leeds, where the four were found dead on Sunday afternoon

Members of the public look at the tributes left at the police cordon in Pudsey, Leeds, where the four were found dead

Distraught: Cheryl Heights (left) and Sara Turnbull bring flowers to lay at the street in Pudsey, Leeds, where the family of four was found

Distraught: Cheryl Heights (left) and Sara Turnbull bring flowers to lay at the street in Pudsey, Leeds, where the family of four was found

He
said the family was last seen at 11pm on the Friday night, when they
left a function at Pudsey St Lawrence Cricket Club by taxi.

Police
were talking to people who were at the cricket club party, but
confirmed there had been no reports of any unusual incidents at the
function, Mr Taylor said.

The
family was found dead after concerned neighbours called at the house on
the Sunday afternoon, followed soon afterwards by police officers.

Investigation: Forensic teams at work at the house

Forensic teams at work at the house during the murder investigation last month

Mrs
Smith’s parents, Alan and Norma Robinson, released a statement about
their daughter which said: ‘Clair was an exceptional person, loving and
caring to everyone.

‘She was a loving mum, her children were her life,
and everything centred around her family and home.

‘She was our daughter and our best pal. We cannot imagine what caused this tragedy.’

After the deaths were discovered, relatives described the Smiths as a ‘perfect family’.

Friends
said Mr Smith worked for a shopfitting firm as a designer and was a
coach for a local football club.

They said the family appeared to have
no problems and could not understand what had happened.

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
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The comments below have not been moderated.

Iain, West Sussex, 03/1/2012 22:38: I suspect Clair’s family is still devastated. Clair was in the prime of her life her sons were starting out on their lives’ journeys. This so-called man destroyed the lives of three human beings for what? The fact that Smith was not cremated with Clair, Ben Aaron shows how ashamed his family are at what he did.
Too many men are killing their partners and/or children, usually on the pretext of some stupid reason: ‘she wanted a divorce’; ‘she was having an affair’; ‘I was having an affair I didn’t want her to find out’, etc. Unlike her pathetic, evil husband, Clair will be remembered with love affection, as will Ben Aaron, whereas Smith will always be known as a sick, twisted man who annihilated his family – just one of many men, who kill their families.

Utterly horrific. I can’t begin to imagine how their friends and family are coping.

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