Uncle held over 12-year-old stabbing death

Uncle held over 12-year-old stabbing death

The uncle of an 11-year-old girl was being held on suspicion of murder last night after his niece’s body was found in a bedroom at his house.



Tia Rigg, a Manchester United fan who is thought to have been visiting her uncle to watch her team’s televised Premier League match against Chelsea on Saturday, was discovered with multiple stab wounds. She had also been strangled.

John Maden, 37, was arrested after police were called to the end-of-terrace council house in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester on Saturday afternoon. Neighbours described him as a loner who "had no mates".

Detectives are awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination and have refused to discuss whether the girl was found fully clothed or had suffered any internal injuries.

Locals said that the girl, who had stab wounds to her chest and neck, was initially found by her grandmother and an aunt who rushed to the house after the alarm was raised. They were seen leaving in floods of tears.

Tia’s mother, Lynn Rigg, 35, is understood to be separated from Tia’s father, Lee Rigg. When she arrived at her brother’s home she was heard to scream "Why, why, why?" before collapsing outside the property on the run-down Dudley Brew council estate.

Detective Superintendent Mary Doyle, of Greater Manchester Police, who is leading the police investigation, confirmed yesterday that officers were not looking for anyone else in connection with the killing.

"Police arrived at the house at 3.45pm and we think Tia had been dead for less than an hour. She was upstairs in one of the bedrooms. She had a significant stab injury to the chest and strangulation injuries. It was just her and the suspect in the house," she said.

Ms Doyle, who confirmed that a 37-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of murder and that he remained in custody for questioning, said that Tia’s family were being supported by family liaison officers.

"Tia was a happy, normal, healthy 11-year-old girl. She had friends and socialised normally. She was in the flush of youth and this is an absolute tragedy. All murders are terrible but when it’s an 11-year-old girl it’s just horrendous.

"The family are devastated. Their world’s falling apart and they are supporting each other as best they can. It’s very, very raw for them and it’s going to take them a long time to get over it."

Mr Maden has a 9-year-old daughter but friends of Tia’s family said that they could not understand why the dead girl had gone to her uncle’s house because she and her mother had little contact with him.

A family friend, Lesley Peers, 47, said: "Tia was a beautiful little angel. She was so polite and, as the eldest of four, she really looked after her two brothers and her sister.

"She had dark hair and the cutest little freckles on her cheek. She loved football, but in all the years I have known Tia and Lynn they have never been round to his house. It makes no sense."

Tia, her three siblings and their mother lived with her grandparents in a house 100 metres from Mr Maden’s home. One neighbour said that she had seen the girl "looking so happy" outside a local shop on Saturday morning, a few hours before she was killed.

Another neighbour, John Fisher, 42, said: "Tia was smashing, but her uncle was odd. This is a rough estate and it’s not the sort of place to raise a child. There are always police around here and there are lots of drugs."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article7087308.ece

Uncle of Tia Rigg charged with her murder

John Maden alleged to have strangled and stabbed 12-year-old

Monday 5 April 2010 22.10 BST

The uncle of a 12-year-old girl who was strangled and stabbed to death was charged with her murder today, police said.

John Maden, 37, was arrested after the body of Tia Rigg was found at his home in Manchester after a 999 call on Saturday.

Tia was found dead at the property in Dalmain Close after a call to emergency services at around 3.45pm. Police have released postmortem results which show she died from strangulation with a ligature and a series of stab wounds to her stomach.

Detective Superintendent Mary Doyle, head of the murder inquiry, yesterday described Tia as "a happy, normal, healthy 12-year-old girl – she had friends, socialised normally and was in the flush of youth".

Tia's parents and her three younger brothers and sisters were described by Doyle as "devastated, with their world falling apart".

A RIP Tia Rigg Facebook page where people could leave tributes had attracted more than 3,000 members by tonight.

Maden of Dalmain Close, Cheetham Hill, will appear before Manchester city magistrates tomorrow.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/apr/05/tia-rigg-uncle-charged-with-murder