Grandad's loss 'unbearable'

Grieving father and grandfather Gordon Murphy says his daughter Rosemary Perkin was a loving mother who always put her children first.

Mr Murphy's life has been torn apart by the loss of his wife to cancer in August and the deaths of his daughter and three granddaughters last Friday.

Yesterday, he made his first public statement about his "unbearable loss" since discovering the bodies of Mrs Perkin, aged 35, Alice, 8, Maria, 6, and Cherie, 23 months, in their home in the Nelson suburb of Stoke on Sunday.

Mrs Perkin, who was in a custody battle with her estranged husband, Patrick, killed the three children in their beds before taking her own life.

Earlier that day, the Family Court had released an interim ruling saying that the children would stay with Mrs Perkin but allowing Mr Perkin unsupervised access.

A statement released through Mr Murphy's lawyer, Bob Symns, said: "It is difficult to comprehend how such events could have occurred, but Mr Murphy is certain that the custody and access dispute provided the trigger.

"Mr Murphy knew his daughter as a loving mother who always put her children first."

The statement said Mr Murphy, who lived in the same street as his daughter, was "coping as well as can be expected given the recent death of his wife, Beryl, following her long fight with leukaemia, and the more recent terrible, tragic and traumatic deaths of his daughter and three lovely granddaughters."

It said Mr Murphy had a close and loving relationship with the four. Their deaths had traumatised him and his family, and were an unbearable loss.

He and his family were doing their best to cope with the horrific events, which had occurred without warning.

Mr Murphy thanked friends, relatives and well-wishers for their expressions of support.

He also thanked police for their support and consideration following the discovery of the bodies, in particular the kindness of Constable Wayne Corbett, "who showed a side of policing which is seldom recognised."

"Mr Murphy, his son Paul and other members of the family need to be left alone to attend the funerals in the next few days and to grieve for their unbearable loss," the statement said.

Mr Perkin's lawyer, Brett Daniell-Smith, revealed this week that the couple had been involved in a bitter custody dispute after separating in March.

Both had applied for custody of the children.

- NZPA