Mansion killer was 'a bully'

The pair fell out 16 years ago and never healed the rift before the terrible events at Osbaston House, in Shropshire, when debt-ridden Foster shot dead his Wolverhampton-born wife, Jill, and daughter Kirstie before committing suicide.

Andrew Foster, aged 46, who lives in Castlecroft, Wolverhampton,with his wife Pam and their three daughters, said he had rejected all hopes of a reconciliation.

"I've said to my wife that I would not visit him because I would get a 12-bore shotgun thrust at me.

"He had never threatened me with a gun but we did fall out.

"He was bad tempered but I never thought he would go this far – perhaps kill himself, but not his family."

Christopher Foster was five years older than Andrew and the brothers were seldom close during their upbringing, first in Lancashire and then in Wolverhampton.

Andrew Foster said: "There was a rivalry between us. When I was younger I may have felt in awe of him, but as we got older I realised that our approaches differered.

"He was a bully. He got beaten up at school, got his nose broken and ended up in juvenile court."

Both became salesmen, but Christopher decided to embrace "American high pressure sales techniques," insisted Andrew.

The older brother had apparently always had a fascination with fires, and saw an opportunity to make money after the 1988 Piper Alpha disaster in the North Sea by developing valve insulation for the oil rig industry.

The move proved a major money spinner and the Ulva company he launched to sell the product quickly started to earn huge sums.

It allowed him to lavish money on a string of flash cars, expensive guns and increasingly large houses for himself, Jill and daughter Kirstie.

The more money he had, the more boorish his behaviour became and the more people he fell out with, including hisa younger brother.

The pair fell out for the last time 16 years ago for unspecified reasons and barely exchanged a civil word again.

Andrew continued: " I realised that I had to get away from him and create my own life. I wrote to him several times to see if we could sit down as adults and discuss things, but he was uncompromising. Once you had fallen out with him, that was it."

Even the death of their father seven years ago did not help to rebuild bridges between them. An invitation by Andrew to a family party was cold-shouldered by Christopher.

The last time they spoke was five years ago shortly before Christopher moved to Osbaston House when Andrew had popped round to see their mother Enid who lived with Christopher at the time.

"His Ferrari appeared out of the garage," he said. "He was going shooting and told me abruptly to shift my car out of the way. He just did what he wanted. It would not bother him who he upset. Jill had not spoken to her sister for a number of years. He could be very tough to people close to him. He was ambitious and wanted everything and would not stop. He took a power tool to a £30,000 shotgun because he was not happy with the way it looked.

"I cannot understand what tipped him and why he had to go to such lengths. He did not give Jill and Kirstie a choice.

"They were treated as possessions. It was calculated, premeditated, but it has achieved nothing apart from taking their lives."