Bring back hanging say grieving parents
The grieving parents of a Midland post office worker shot dead by a gang of robbers today pleaded "bring back hanging".
The grieving parents of a Midland post office worker shot dead by a gang of robbers today pleaded "bring back hanging".
Craig Hodson-Walker, 29, was shot through the heart as he tried to fend off a masked gang at the post office and general stores in Fairfield, near Stourbridge, in January. His father Ken, 57, was shot in the leg during the bungled raid and has since developed epilepsy.
Speaking after three men were convicted of Craig's murder, his mother Judy, aged 57, said the price they would have to pay would never be sufficient for the crime.
She said: "If they want to take a life it should be a life for a life. They took Craig's life and we didn't have any rights on that day – they didn't even give us a chance. They didn't think twice about it so no, they shouldn't be breathing. They shouldn't be living, that's how we feel."
Ken Hodson-Walker said: "Have a referendum on hanging – hang them – ask the people what they want."
The couple said they were happy with the verdicts returned by the jury but Mrs Hodson-Walker said the lives of her husband Ken, son James and Craig's fiancee Lisa Bundy would never be the same due to loss of her eldest son.
"So many times we have asked the question – why did evil touch us on January 9 this year?
"Family was everything to Craig and he would always have fought to protect us. He paid the ultimate price for that but he has stopped them and he will always be our hero.
"Before Craig was murdered we had just celebrated five years of running our business and were making big plans for the future. In the time it takes to walk across a room and make a cup of coffee all that was destroyed.
"We lost our wonderful son, James lost his brother and best mate and Lisa lost the man she loved.
"It is difficult to find the positives at times like this but if there is any good to have come out of Craig's death it is the fantastic support we have had from the community in Fairfield – they gave us the strength to carry on and have shown that evil cannot and never will win."
