Lee Tipping denies murder
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A son who stabbed his parents to death in a ferocious knife attack in Higher Walton claimed he lost control while defending himself from his dad.
Lee Tipping, 36, killed Anthony Tipping and Patricia Livesey at the family home in Cann Bridge Street on November 20 2021. Mrs Livesey, known as Tricia, suffered 153 separate knife wounds in the attack. Her husband, known as Tony or 'Tip' was stabbed 131 times. Lee Tipping denies murder.
Opening the trial at Preston Crown Court, prosecutor David McLachlan said family members raised the alarm when Tricia had not turned up for lunch with her mum and was not answering their calls. When they went to check on her, the milk was still on the doorstep and Tony's car was nowhere to be seen.
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The police forced entry to the house and discovered Tricia's body at the top of the stairs and Tony dead in the bathroom. Both had suffered multiple stab wounds.
The previous evening the couple had been to the Swan Inn and Mill Tavern pubs with Tricia's sister Catherine Riding and her husband Martin. However over the course of the evening, Tony's mood changed after a phone call from his son explaining he had broken a door.
Tony was heard to say: "You'd better not have done. You've f*****g had it when I get home", and appeared agitated and unable to relax, Mr McLachlan said.
As the couple left the pub, Tricia told her sister: "You never know. This may be my last gin. I don't want to go home." Her sister was so concerned she offered Tricia a bed for the night, but the couple left together and returned to the house.
At 11.55pm, Tricia sent her sister a WhatsApp message saying: "Hi, just let you know ok [sic]. I'll probably not sleep. He's being a f*****g s***." Three minutes later, she messaged: "Please God, hope someone will help us xx"
Neighbours heard shouting and banging coming from the house, and a voice – believed to be Tricia's – shouting "stop Lee" and "help!"
Her sister replied urging her to call the police, but Tricia never opened the message. The prosecution say the couple were killed at around midnight.
On Saturday November 20, Lee Tipping drove to Liverpool John Lennon Airport, with the intention of leaving the country. However he realised he had forgotten his Covid passport and returned to the house. He then set off to Manchester Airport, taking his father's bank card with him, Mr McLachlan said.
When Tipping arrived at the airport he saw a heavy police presence and decided to visit a nearby pub before taking a taxi to a Premier Inn in Manchester City Centre. The hotel was fully booked but while he tried to book another hotel nearby, the receptionist received a call from police advising them they believed Tipping was at the hotel and they wanted to speak to him.
The receptionist was asked to keep the customer talking and at 7.15pm armed police swooped on the hotel and arrested Tipping on suspicion of murder. As he was being taken into custody, Tipping told officers: "I was just standing up to him. He came at me with a knife."
Tipping was interviewed on five separate occasions. He told police he killed his father because "he had to make the choice or wouldn't be there to tell the tale today", Mr McLachlan said. Tipping told officers he had thrown a medicine ball at his father to try to knock him out, and confronted him with a cannister and lighter, telling him to stay back.
In a second interview, he said: "I thought, the b*****d has cut through my hand. Why should I let him butcher me to bits and pass it off as suicide? I may as well finish him off now."
He said he killed his mother because she wanted to get away from the scene and knew she would call the police.
"He started the violence", he said. "There was no other option because he would have finished me off and passed it off as suicide. He always said he'd have the last laugh. He has always been smarter than me. When he has attacked me he says 'I'll just phone the police and blame it on you."
In a later interview he said: "And another thing. My dad used intimidation, manipulation and bullying. He was fanatical on it. He thrived on making my life hell. He made my life so hellish as a teen I had to turn to drugs, When I was in a mental hospital he had to have an input with the care staff.
"He was always trying to manipulate me and mould me into a bit of a nerd and a geek – basically a yes man." He said he lost control and went into "a rush" when he attacked his parents.
Turning to the jury, Mr McLachlan said it was clear Tipping's intention was not only to hurt his parents but to kill them. He said: "That's what he did. By doing that he showed his parents no mercy, firstly doing it to his father then moving on to his mother.
"After the killings, what did he do? He tried to make good his escape, firstly by going to Liverpool Airport and then to Manchester, intending to flee the country. Fortunately he was thwarted in his endeavours and was arrested by armed police in Manchester City Centre. This is the case you are dealing with. You will appreciate it is as serious as it gets."
(Proceeding)