Millionaire killed family before blaze
Millionaire businessman Christopher Foster killed his wife and daughter before setting his country mansion alight and taking his own life, police said yesterday.
They said were not seeking anyone else in their week-long investigation.
The bodies of 50-year-old Foster and his wife were found in the charred ruins of the house on Friday, although Foster’s body was not positively identified from dental records until yesterday, according to police.
The location of a third body, found last Sunday, suggested that it was that of the couple’s daughter, although further tests are required before a positive identification is possible.
Police said Jill Foster died from a shotgun wound to the head before the fire was started. Causes of death for her husband and their daughter have yet to be established.
“We believe that Mr Foster killed his wife and daughter before setting the fires which destroyed his home,” detective superintendent Jon Groves said yesterday.
He said a rifle discovered near the couple’s bodies had been positively identified as belonging to Foster.
“We believe Mr Foster took his own life after setting the house alight,” he added.
Police said CCTV footage showed a man they strongly believed to be Foster in the grounds of the mansion in the early hours of last Tuesday with what appeared to be a rifle.
It also showed outbuildings going up in flames around the same time and a large horse box being driven down the driveway, blocking the main gates.
“A man, again believed to be Mr Foster , is seen to get out of the vehicle and apparently shoot out two of the tyres,” said Groves.
Three horses and four dogs were were shot before the fire broke out.
Foster’s main company Ulva, which supplied insulation for oil rigs, went into liquidation last year with debts of nearly £1m.