Son recalls night of his father’s murder at family home

Andrew Wilson’s sole memory of his father is seeing him lying in a pool of blood having been shot on the doorstep of the family home.

He told the PA news agency of what he remembers of that night and how he has coped following the tragedy.

Andrew, his younger brother and mother Veronica remained living in the house on Crescent Road after bank worker Alistair Wilson was fatally shot on the doorstep following a visit by a mystery man in the evening of November 28, 2004, in a murder which remains unsolved.

Andrew, who was four at the time, and is now 20, said: “I don’t really remember much, the only thing that I really remember is that I came down the stairs after it happened and saw my dad lying there and then in kind of all goes blurry and then I just remember being the back of a police car but that’s all I remember that night.

“I have no memories of my dad at all – that’s the only image I have. I don’t know what his voice is like. I don’t really remember anything.”

One of the photographs released by the police for the new appeal for information is of Andrew and his father on the day of the murder.

He cannot remember it being taken, but said people have told him he was out for a walk with his father that day.

He also has no recollection of one of the other photographs released, of him and his brother at his father’s graveside.

Andrew believes his mother made the right decision to remain in the family home, saying it is “our home” and meant less disruption for himself and his brother during a traumatic time, despite becoming known as “the banker’s son”.

He said: “It’s that small town mentality – people recognise you, everybody knows. I’d be referred to as ‘the banker’s son’ and people would do a double take.

“You are walking in the supermarket and you hear people saying ‘don’t look, don’t look”. People don’t mean it in a horrible way but when you’re going to the supermarket and you get that every time it’s just bringing it back up.”

Asked about speculation around the murder including that his father may have been involved in money laundering – something which the police have discovered no evidence of – or that his mother was involved in the killing, he said he cannot speak to his dad’s character as he “didn’t know him” but would like to believe the positive things he has been told.

He said: “People blaming my mum – that’s the one thing I don’t understand. Police have ruled her out. If anyone listens to the 999 call that they released you can hear the emotion in my mum’s voice.

“You can tell – I hate that recording, its the one thing I just can’t listen to – but you can tell. And I know my mum and she’s not a monster that she gets made out to be.”

Andrew has had 10 years of counselling to help cope with his father’s murder and praised the assistance of bereavement groups and charities.

He said: “To see and speak to other people who have gone through the tragedy of losing their parents to didn’t feel alone any more and you had coping mechanisms.”

Calling on anyone with information about his father’s murder to come forward, he said: “Anyone that knows something I urge them to phone up and say ‘this is what happened’.

He said if such people fail to speak up they are “prolonging our suffering”.

“We’ve suffered for 16 years and we shouldn’t have had to suffer for 16 years,” he added.

“I shouldn’t be having to stand here and ask people to tell me why my dad was killed. It shouldn’t be something I have to do.”