Neighbour tells of shooting tragedy

Dec 30 2009

A neighbour has told of the dramatic moment when police discovered a father had shot his four-year-old daughter and his ex-partner before turning the gun on himself.

Andy Copland, 56, apparently killed daughter Maisie and injured estranged girlfriend Julie Harrison, 40, on Tuesday morning at their house in Aldershot, Hampshire.

Rachael Bryan was at home next door when a friend, Robert Wood, was prevented from parking his car by Ms Harrison's red Renault parked in the road.

"She had dropped the child off and kept the engine running so Robert was kept waiting and he started tooting his horn," Mrs Bryan explained.

"Then a neighbour came up to him and tearfully said he (Copland) had locked his wife in the house and the police have been called.

"We went upstairs to my bedroom window and a police car with lights flashing came and a policeman knocked on the door. I suppose he must have seen something through the letterbox because he then started kicking in the door.

"At the next moment another police car sped in. It went right over the roundabout in front of us and he rushed in and then, looking very serious, he came out and used his radio and then the cavalry arrived with police cars and ambulances.

"Later we saw the mother coming out. She had her head strapped across the stretcher and she was put into an ambulance."

Mrs Bryan said that she had only lived at the house for a month, and added: "When I moved in I was told he came home from work one day and his wife had left with their child. I used to see him putting the bins out but I kept my distance. He seemed angry and depressed. People said he used to be OK but his wife had left him.

Meanwhile, Maisie's school, St Michael's Infants in Aldershot, has paid tribute to the little girl. Head teacher Liz Mathias said: "We were devastated to hear about the tragic incident involving Maisie. She was a lovely little girl and a daughter that anyone could be proud of."