Continuing with the story of the Heald family originally from Weaverham.

Last week we featured grandparents Alfred and Agnes Heald, who in 1901 lived at One Ash, Sandy Lane, Weaverham.

Their six children included sons Alfred Ernest Heald, who was commissioned into the army eventually becoming a lieutenant colonel, and their second son Herbert, who married Ivy Heald nee Groom.

Herbert also served in the army, reaching the rank of major before his untimely death in 1946. His only son, born on July 26, 1923, was called Kenneth Charles Heald and today, we look at him.

Kenneth left Ormskirk and Colwyn Bay schools and entered the Royal Navy as a radio officer serving throughout the Second World War and was on three ships that were torpedoed under him; on one, he was the only survivor.

Whilst in Southampton, he started an affair with a married woman called Vera Dardenella Yeoman, aged 31 of Deacon Crescent, Southampton; she had two children, David, six, and Raymond, 11.

On April 3, 1946, Kenneth took Mrs Yeoman and her son David to London. Whilst there, he decided to inform his parents of the affair, and hoping that they would understand, he left his lover on April 6 and went to his parent's home in Southport, knowing that his father would be on leave from Northern Ireland.

His parents did not understand regarding the affair and were not happy but agreed to meet Vera at Southport on April 16.

On April 12, his parents went with Kenneth to the home of his father's sister Lilian Agnes Heald, who now lived at 29 West Road, Weaverham, with Kenneth’s grandmother, Agnes Heald. A discussion was held, and the family apparently were not happy.

Kenneth returned to Southport with his parents, and on April 13 he walked into the scullery, and his father was in there with his back to him. He shot his father in the head with his father's Webley revolver; his father fell to the floor but was still alive, so he shot him again in his head.

He went upstairs, and his mother was on the landing. She saw that he was holding a gun, had heard the shots, and asked him what was happening. Kenneth made no reply but shot her twice in the head, leaving her on the floor.

He went back to the scullery and saw that his father was still breathing, so he shot him again but in the chest.

He had decided to shoot himself after killing them, and he did not want them to suffer living with the disgrace of him going with a married woman.

In next week's Looking Back, we continue with the sad tale...