A mother who was forced to listen while her estranged husband killed their four boys and himself at a Welsh beauty spot is facing further heartbreak. Sam Tolley is devastated after accusing housing developer "trashing" a memorial garden to sons Joshua, seven, Thomas, six, Callum, five, and Daniel, three.
The boys were murdered by their father Keith Young, who drove them from their home in Winsford, Cheshire to the Horseshoe Pass in Llangollen where he rang Sam to let her hear them die. While running a petrol lawnmower in the back of the family car, he handed the phone to his eldest son, Joshua to say goodbye to his mum and tell her he loved her. Young informed her as each of them passed away.
The harrowing news shocked the Denbighshire community and a commemorative stone plaque was erected at the scene at a layby near the Ponderosa Cafe. A memorial garden was also set up in memory of the boys at Handley Hill Primary School where they attended. But Sam was devastated when she turned up this week to find that Linden Homes had destroyed the garden, Cheshire Live reports.
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Sam posted on Facebook: "My boys' memorial garden. What do I do or who do I go and see? Totally heartbroken. How can they do this and get away with it? No warning to tell me, I turn up and look like this. I was told the garden under no circumstances would be touched, devastated isn't the word."
Back in 2009 Cheshire Council closed the school and property developers Linden Homes were given permission to build houses. However one of the key conditions was that the memorial garden was to be kept as part of the new development.
It had been agreed that the developers would meet up with Sam to discuss plans on how the new memorial garden would look when it was completed as it was a condition of planning approval that the memorial garden would be retained, but this has not happened. Work to clear up vegetation from the site and prepare the ground for the new garden has started, but there was no consultation between all parties that the work was to begin.
Linden Homes says there had been some confusion regarding the start of the work due to a changeover of personnel on the site and that the garden was to be kept “in situ” until the revised plans were agreed on by all parties.
A spokesperson for Vistry Group which incorporates Linden Homes said: “A new memorial garden is being created, retaining the existing wall and incorporating Sam’s ideas, such as the inclusion of tractors within the design in tribute to her sons. There will also be an ornamental tree with a special memorial plaque, four more trees to symbolise the boys, and benches for people to sit and reflect.
"We met with Sam at the site in August to discuss the plans but we are sorry if there has been any misunderstanding about the timescales of that work that has caused upset – and we have a meeting with Sam and Winsford Mayor Cllr Nathan Pardoe on Thursday to go through the design and the timetable. Currently the overgrown vegetation is being cleared as the land is prepared for work to start on the new garden next month, with the intention that Sam continues to be involved in this process throughout.”
Cllr Pardoe weighed in on the issue, saying Linden Homes 'must deliver on its promise' to protect the memory of Joshua, Thomas, Callum and Daniel Young.
“Plans were drawn up last summer for the reinstatement of the memorial garden," the mayor of Winsford said. "Linden Homes staff are aware of how important this garden is to the Winsford community and always intended to reinstate it. The most important thing is that the wishes of the family continue to be incorporated into plans for reinstatement, with this in mind I'll be attending a site visit along with Sam and Linden Homes.
"All involved want to see a memorial garden that remembers Joshua, Thomas, Callum and Daniel appropriately. Linden Homes must deliver on its promise to protect their memory by restoring the garden and work closely with Sam to reinstate it with care and sensitivity.”
Linden Homes, Cllr Nathan Pardoe, Cheshire West and Chester Council and Sam Tolley are arranging a meeting this week to sort out the situation and make clear exactly what Sam’s wishes are for the revised memorial garden.
A spokesman for Cheshire West and Chester Council added: “The council has long been conscious of the need to respect this important memorial, which remembers the four boys from Winsford who attended the school.
"Even though the Handley Hill school site is being redeveloped for housing, the memorial will still be retained and rebuilt on the site as part of this new development. The planning permission for the site was approved on the condition that the developer reinstate a new memorial garden.
"The developer has been instructed by the council to carry out this work and integrate an improved memorial garden as part of its plans, which was approved in August of last year. The council and the developer are committed to retaining and enhancing the memorial garden and we are aware a meeting is taking place on Thursday to discuss its design.”
Jealous Keith Young, a 38-year-old farm labourer and pub bouncer was seperated from Sam when he had threatened to kill himself and his four boys after she told him she was pregnant by another man. The frantic mum - desperate to save her children - offered to abort the baby and take him back during the heartbreaking phone call after which, she lost her baby.
A Home Office pathologist found Young and all four boys died of carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of breathing in exhaust fumes from the petrol lawnmower. An inquest concluded that Young's death was suicide and that the "four beautiful little boys" had been unlawfully killed.
