Mystery of attack by dad who said 'I love my sons'

Chef Stephen Schofield, 33, pleaded guilty yesterday to the attempted murder of Daniel Shankly Schofield, seven, and Adam Paisley Schofield, four, on October 17 last year.

Medical reports on Schofield are now being prepared and it will be several weeks before he appears before Preston Crown Court again for sentencing.

Police have said that since his arrest Schofield has been unable to recall the brutal attack which left Daniel and Adam battling for their lives.

Detective Sergeant Neil Hunter, one of the investigating officers, said: "He can remember everything up until the attack and everything after the attack.

"Whether it was selective amnesia or he just wasn't able to come to terms with it, we just don't know.

"He was never able to tell us what happened. Schofield had no history of violence and no record at all.

"It is one of those unexplainable situations that we might never get to the bottom of."

At first detectives were met with a wall of silence from Schofield.

He was initially taken to Burnley General Hospital for treatment to self-inflicted cuts to his wrists and then taken to Accrington police station. But it was not until hours later that the Liverpool FC fan - who had even given his sons the names of former club managers - uttered his first words to police.

And when the interviews started he became emotional and showed disbelief when told he had attacked his children.

DS Hunter said: "He had not spoken a word while in police custody until he was officially interviewed by police in the presence of his solicitor.

"During the interview he was quietly spoken and emotional. He said he loved his children.

"When told what had happened he said something like he couldn't do that to his own children."

Police know that in the 24 hours before the attack Schofield had been trying to get his relationship with partner Anita Pettifer back on track.

"They were having problems with their relationship and had spent a period apart. The couple shared the same house and bedroom," said DS Hunter.

"They did discuss the future together the night before. He had asked her to get back together, but she did not want to.

"He had obviously thought more about it because he resurrected the conversation the next morning.

"Words were exchanged and he started making veiled threats that she would not see the kids again. The attacks took place shortly afterward."

Police and the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to interview the boys to find out what happened.

DS Hunter said: "We didn't want to subject them to reliving the trauma of how their injuries were caused." He added that Miss Pettifer's 16-year-old sister Paula provided an account of the incident as she had been staying at the house after babysitting the night before.

Only years can heal the wounds

A CHILD psychology expert believes it could take years for the brothers to come to terms with the attack.

The claim came as the boys continued to recover from the severe neck wounds caused by their father.

Daniel's windpipe was completely severed and he had to use a plastic tube to assist with his breathing. He underwent numerous operations to repair the damage.

Doctors are still waiting for the healing process to take full effect and it could be months before they know the long term effects.

Younger brother Adam also underwent emergency surgery to mend his windpipe which was partially severed in the attack. He has made a steady recovery.

But it is not just the physical marks that need time to heal.

Dr Kate Rhee believes the brothers will need time to get to grips with what happened to them.

She treats children referred to the psychology department at Queens Park Hospital, Blackburn, after being left traumatised by accidents or violence. "Every child is different depending on their personality, temperament and background. But in a case such as this I would think the effects could be quite long term and could last several years."

Young children face a number of possible problems in the days and months after being traumatised.

Sleeping disorders and high anxiety are familiar symptoms. Often anxiety can be triggered off by anything that reminds them of what they have been through.

The anxiety can heighten their alertness to dangers and sudden noises can spark distress

Older children are more likely to get flashbacks about the event, though this can happen to young children, but is more likely to be confused.

Schoolwork can also suffer as the youngsters are often easily distracted, lack concentration and can become withdrawn.

Children are referred to the unit from around Blackburn, Ribble Valley and Hyndburn by their doctors.

Dr Rhee said: "Children often don't want to talk to parents because they don't want to upset them.

"We try to get the child to understand their experience and this can take a long time. It won't get any better for the child without intervention."

Role play, toys and drawing are just a few of the methods staff use to get the youngster to open up about their experiences.

And the need for treatment in later life is always a possibility.

Dr Rhee added: "The length of treatment at the department is a small part of their life. The children's carers and schools are also engaged in the treatment and are given advice on how to handle different situations.

"Life events, such as moving school or seeing people who remind them of the person responsible for the trauma, can stir things up again later on." The brothers were initially taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary. They were transferred to Manchester Royal Children's Hospital, Pendlebury.

Adam was released after two weeks and his brother after a month.

The brothers have now returned to Peel Park County Primary School, Accrington.

Acting headteacher Alan Henderson said: "We have tried to make it as stable as possible for them. All the pupils and staff have been very sympathetic to the boys.

"It was just a case of them slotting back into the school. They seem to be getting on well."

Bloodbath horror that met ambulance crew

NOTHING could prepare the ambulance staff for the horror they faced when they walked into the smart terrace house in Lodge Street.

Minutes earlier they had received a call asking them to attend the house after reports of a child suffering a "neck injury".

But, as the first crew on the scene, it quickly dawned that this would be no ordinary call.

The two boys, covered in blood, lay on a bed in an upstairs bedroom with their father, Stephen Schofield. A blood-stained knife was on the pillow.

Two heavily blood-stained patches on the carpet at the bottom of stairs and in the lounge marked where the boys had been attacked.

Blood was smeared on the walls up the stairs and, in the kitchen, several knives were scattered around splattered with blood.

But the stunned crew put their feelings aside and acted fast to save the boys.

The crew were desperate to get the brothers to hospital and to save time both brothers were taken in one ambulance. They then met another ambulance near to the M65 to allow one of the brothers to be transferred. Until that stage, one paramedic was having to deal with both boys.

The horrific events of October 17 last year has had a lasting effect on everyone who attended the house.

Counselling has been on offer to both the paramedics and police officers.

DS Neil Hunter said: "It creates so many victims - the boys, their family, the paramedics, the police and hospital staff.

"The police officers taking the statements off the paramedics were upset by what they heard. The paramedics said it was complete devastation.

"It was only until a good few hours after the attack that we realised the boys weren't going to die."

He praised the ambulance crew for the bravery and courageous behaviour in entering the house without fear for their own safety

One ambulance crew member has been unable to return to work due to stress brought on by what he saw.

Ambulance boss Peter Hill said it was possibly the worst case he had heard about in his 23 years service.

The assistant Blackburn district manager said: "Staff have to deal with traumatic incidents all the time and often they do involve children. In this particular case the crew got the first call as a neck injury.

"That could mean anything and, until they were on the scene, they didn't realise the severity of the incident.

"The crews attended to the injuries and needs of the children. At that particular time the trauma had not hit them because they were just concentrating on the patients' needs.

"It was not until afterwards that they were able to reflect on what they had seen."

Mr Hill said it has not been easy for the staff who did not want to talk about the incident. "It is a combination of children being involved and the fact that the crews went in cold. If they go to an incident such as road traffic accident they can prepare themselves mentally, but they weren't able to do that in this case.

"It is very important that when people do dial 999 that they give us as much information as possible so we know what we are dealing with," he added.

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