Daughter's search for justice 33 years on after father dies in Mansfield Woodhouse axe attack

A daughter, whose father was bludgeoned to death in a 'horrific' axe attack at their family home in Mansfield Woodhouse when she was just five, has made a fresh appeal to find his killer.

Kevin Childerley was 30-years-old and asleep in his bed on Sherwood Street when someone climbed through a kitchen window brandishing an axe and struck him several times in the head.

His wife Denise, 32, lost an eye and was left fighting for her life in hospital after the attack on 19 February 1990.

Now, 33 years later - despite two arrests - no one has ever been brought to justice.

Their daughter Emma, who's now 38-year-old, is issuing a new plea for information hoping the passage of time may have allayed fears someone may have previously had about coming forward.

Speaking to Nottinghamshire Police, she said: "The wounds were so horrific, I'm told the coffin had to remain closed on the day of his funeral. This meant the family never got to say goodbye.

"It pains me that my dad's last moments on earth were full of agonising pain and suffering, attacked when he was at his most vulnerable, asleep and in his own bed.

"I just plead and urge people who know something to come forward, even if it is the smallest piece of information, please let the police know.

"Finding my dad's killer would mean we could finally have some closure. It would mean the world to me."

Miss Childerley's brother, Ben, was just five-months-old at the time of the attack.

She added: "I don't have lots of memories of my dad because he was taken from us when I was just five. But my dad was a wonderful man and my best friend."

As part of the appeal, Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin of Nottinghamshire Police said that Mr and Mrs Childerley had visited the British Legion Club in Mansfield Woodhouse on the night of the attack and had gone to bed at around midnight as normal.

Detective Chief Inspector Clare Dean, who is investigating the incident, said: "33 years on and our commitment to catching the killer will never wane.

"This is a crime that will have rocked the community of Mansfield Woodhouse and we know there is someone out there that will have information, no matter how small, that could help us progress our investigation."

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