Tragic

[AfternoonDelight]

A man who gassed himself and his two children planted a hoax bomb at the family home and reportedly told his wife: "I've left you a present."
Brian Philcox, 52, was going through a break-up with his wife when he drove to the Conwy valley to kill himself, seven-year-old Amy and Owen, three.
After picking up the children, there were reports that he told his wife: "I'll make the papers, just you watch."

Mr Philcox and his children were found in his Land Rover Freelander near Llanrwst on Sunday - Father's Day.

A friend of Mr Philcox, Paul Clifton, said he had been very upset by the turmoil of divorce.


"He was very, very upset by the situation to do with the courts and the access to the children, because he's going through a lot of turmoil with the divorce," he said. "But he loved his children. It's very hard to believe he's done this."


Debate on Radio 2 on whether or not it was pre-meditated murder, a mental breakdown, revenge or whether he actually meant to kill them all?

Sympathy or blame? I can't help but feel sorry for someone who feels the situation is desperate enough to do something like this, although all my sympathy now lies with the mother as she is the one who has to carry on. How horrific...

[weestraw]

I heard the debate on Radio2 and i would say 95% of the responses were very strongly critical of this man "Coward" and "evil" were to of the more frequently used words. ........... Its terrible that he felt in a state to do such a thing but his actions cannot be excused regardless fo circumstances

[scorrie]

He used the lives of his children to strike at his wife from beyond the grave. A coward indeed. Turn up the gas Nick!!

[TBH]

If there is such a place as hell I hope the guy rots there. His kids had no choice in their death.[disgust]

[*Martin*]

It takes the lowest kind of scum to do something like this to their kids! It's tragic that these 2 kids had there lives cut short by the cowardly actions of one of the two people who should've cared about them/wanted to look after them the most!

People get divorced everyday, but not everyone decides to murder their babies just for a bit of revenge! So the fact that his friend suggested it's because of the stress from the divorce is a load of rubbish in my eyes!

My heart goes out to the mother who's world has undoubtedly fallen around her but also to the 2 children who never got the chance to experience their lives!

The fact that there are people out here who would commit this kind of act of evil scares the hell out of me!

Here's hoping he rots!

[balto]

this man if he deserves to be called that had no right to take the lives of his 2 innocent children just to get back at his wife, he just took the cowards way out taking with him these to angels at the same time. it is a parents job to make sure our kids are safe and looked after, not to take their lives away when we are facing problems, hope he rots in hell.

[armanisgirl]

This man was a member of 'Fathers For Justice' - the group of men campaigning for more access rights etc. What kind of message does this send out to those already in custody/access battles??? That it's ok to kill yourself and your children because there's a chance you might not get the access or custody you want? But there's also the other side - how many men might be denied access now as a result of this? I know there are men out there who do not deserve access, for whatever reason, but I feel so sorry for the genuine ones who really do care about their children, and would never harm them in such a way. And (sorry girls!) there are some very twisted and bitter ex-girlfriends/wives who might now try to say their ex-boyfriend/husband might harm their children, and use this as an example, when nothing could be further from the truth!

I have never been able to understand a parent committing suicide AND taking the lives of the innocent children, not only is it cowardly, as some have said, but it is also extremely selfish. I have always said that it takes real guts to end your life, and mean to end it. It's not an easy option for anyone, and it isn't the easy way out; I imagine the suicidee dies feeling unloved, guilty for being alive and perhaps being a burden on others, guilty for taking his/her life and leaving the expected devastation behind him/her. There will be so many different emotions going through the head of a person taking their own life.

In this case, it would seem that the only thing going through this mans head was revenge. It strikes me that he maybe had knowledge that he would not win custody or the access he was demanding, and so decided to take the ultimate form of revenge. And yes, it was definately premeditated - to make a call bragging he would make the news, as well as send fake bombs to the estranged wife - he had planned this, and he had planned this to happen on Fathers Day - knowing he would make a statement of some kind by doing it on this day. sadly, he has made the wrong statement, and may well have made access and custody issues a lot harder than they already are as a result.

Those poor children, and their poor mother. My heart goes out to all of them.

[scorrie]

This man was a member of 'Fathers For Justice' - the group of men campaigning for more access rights etc. What kind of message does this send out to those already in custody/access battles??? That it's ok to kill yourself and your children because there's a chance you might not get the access or custody you want? But there's also the other side - how many men might be denied access now as a result of this? I know there are men out there who do not deserve access, for whatever reason, but I feel so sorry for the genuine ones who really do care about their children, and would never harm them in such a way. And (sorry girls!) there are some very twisted and bitter ex-girlfriends/wives who might now try to say their ex-boyfriend/husband might harm their children, and use this as an example, when nothing could be further from the truth!

I have never been able to understand a parent committing suicide AND taking the lives of the innocent children, not only is it cowardly, as some have said, but it is also extremely selfish. I have always said that it takes real guts to end your life, and mean to end it. It's not an easy option for anyone, and it isn't the easy way out; I imagine the suicidee dies feeling unloved, guilty for being alive and perhaps being a burden on others, guilty for taking his/her life and leaving the expected devastation behind him/her. There will be so many different emotions going through the head of a person taking their own life.

In this case, it would seem that the only thing going through this mans head was revenge. It strikes me that he maybe had knowledge that he would not win custody or the access he was demanding, and so decided to take the ultimate form of revenge. And yes, it was definately premeditated - to make a call bragging he would make the news, as well as send fake bombs to the estranged wife - he had planned this, and he had planned this to happen on Fathers Day - knowing he would make a statement of some kind by doing it on this day. sadly, he has made the wrong statement, and may well have made access and custody issues a lot harder than they already are as a result.

Those poor children, and their poor mother. My heart goes out to all of them.

Good post, this piece of crap sent out a resounding message that it was correct that he should have limited access to his kids. All those diddies farting around in Batman costumes must start asking themselves whether they ever put as much effort into their marriage and family, as they do to promoting THEIR rights. How much is it actually about seeing their kids and how much is it about boosting their egos by getting one over on the ex-wife.

No doubt, if this man had survived, there would be plenty in society queueing up to feel sorry for a "tortured" individual. A pathetic excuse for a human being is all he was.

[dessie]

Why take it out on the children...and not is wife.......

[*Martin*]

He should not have taken anything out on anyone!