THE wife of a West Mercia Police sergeant who killed his three-year-old son and then himself said she will never forgive him for what he’s done.

David Louden aged 39 and three-year-old Harrison Louden were found dead at their home on Cairndhu Drive in Kidderminster on August 13 last year.

Following a post-mortem examination, West Mercia Police confirmed they were treating the death of David Louden as a suspected suicide, and the death of Harrison as a suspected murder.

Senior coroner, David Reid concluded during an inquest held at Worcestershire Corner’s Court on June 30 that David and Harrison died of asphyxiation.

The court heard that David and Samantha Louden were on a family holiday in Rhyl, Wales.

Harrison, who had suspected autism, had a ‘meltdown’ and David was feeling ‘exhausted’ and not well.

David, Harrison and Samantha travelled back to their home in Kidderminster and Samantha returned to Wales on the same night.

However, Samantha then became worried as David was not answering her calls and messages and told a friend, to check on them at their home.

A statement was read to the court from Samantha, who also works for West Mercia Police.

It read: “David was a really kind person, thoughtful and considerate, but was a stressed person, especially around health issues.

“For the first 12 weeks of the Covid pandemic, he had to shield as he had asthma.

“It was a really tough time for him, and his personality changed and was, what I would say now, depressed.

“He had counselling through work - he said it helped but I was not so sure.”

Their son Harrison was receiving help with his communication and language difficulties, but Covid had delayed meetings.

The coroner said how the court has heard many stories about the “Covid pandemic affecting people’s mental and physical health.”

“For David and Samantha Louden that meant meetings about Harrison’s condition were often delayed and had to take place remotely rather than in person,” added the coroner.

“That is to imply no criticism of those involved; it’s just a sad fact and one of the many consequences of the pandemic.

“But it seems to me those consequences also had an effect on David’s mental health.”

In a further statement, Samantha said she will never forgive David for what he’s done and “what David did that day was not the David that she knew and recognised.”

She said: “I feel devastated for my loss and that David felt that way and didn’t ask for help.

“However, David made choices that day that were not his choices to make.

“We will never recover from not having Harrison with us.

“Harrison was undoubtedly facing challenges but was making his own way slowly.

“The pain is unbearable.

“We are devastated, that word seems too small for how we are feeling.

Samantha’s statement concluded with: “Sleep tight little boy, love you to the moon and back”.

Returning his verdicts, the coroner concluded that David Louden unlawfully killed his son Harrison before taking his own life.

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