Shropshire millionaire Chris Foster branded 'evil'

Sep 7 2008

MILLIONAIRE businessman Chris Foster who killed his wife and daughter has been branded evil by a Midland mum who lived through a similar tragedy.

Elaine Cartwright’s daughter Lisa Higgins and two children Demmy and Keighley were stabbed to death by Spencer Smith, the father of the two girls, on Christmas Eve in 2004.

And like the Shropshire-born millionaire, who shot dead his wife Jillian, 49, and daughter Kirstie, 15, Smith went on to kill himself after his sickening attack.

Last night Elaine, 49, of Willenhall, West Midlands, told the Sunday Mercury: “Like Spencer, Foster will have had it in his mind to do something like that.

“There’s no way that his actions can ever be blamed on the fact that he had consumed too much alcohol. He would have been evil to begin with – Jillian and Kirstie didn’t stand a chance.”

Four years on Elaine said she cannot forgive Spencer for killing his own family.

Lisa and her daughters were brutally killed on Christmas Eve in 2004 at their home in Willenhall.

It’s thought that Spencer had discovered the 25-year-old was about to leave him after suffering years of domestic abuse.

Smith, 28, was found in his car on the A41 near Telford, with self-inflicted stab wounds. He was charged with the murders but found hanged in his cell at Blakenhurst Prison, near Redditch, Worcestershire, in May 2004, just weeks before his trial was about to start.

Elaine said: “I still don’t have any answers as to why Spencer carried out this crime and I never will.

“Relatives of the Foster family will be going through exactly the same and will be trying to understand why this happened.

“It’s something they will never come to terms with, but they will eventually learn how to cope with it. I am still mourning thedeaths of the girls. I talk to them every day and surround myself with pictures of them.

“But I know that justice never prevailed because Spencer killed himself before that could happen.

“What I now fear is that people will start defending Foster. That is what happened with Spencer. His family still say that Spencer had a heart of gold. Yet he murdered his wife and two daughters and then killed himself.

“You cannot justify anyone carrying out such an horrendous attack, regardless of what state-of-mind they are in. These sort of things don’t just happen out of the blue.

“It is a complete tragedy and Foster was nothing but an evil, selfish man – just like my son-in-law.”

After killing his wife and child, Foster set their £1.2 million house in Maesbrook, Shropshire, alight. He then went onto kill himself in the burning mansion after shooting dead the family’s horses and dogs on August 25.

It’s believed the debt-ridden millionaire carried out the killings because of his dire financial state.

Last night Foster’s mum Enid, 78, who lives in south Shropshire, said: “I can’t condone what he’s done, but I’ve lost a dearly-loved son, daughter-in-law and beautiful granddaughter.

“He talked to nobody, we knew nothing about his financial situation and it’s come as a tremendous shock.

“So many of his friends have told me that, had they known, they would have helped him however they could.

“They were a very close, loving family unit and I don’t think he could face telling them they were going to lose everything. But I am in no way condoning what he’s done. It’s very hard.”

Roger Doley, Jillian’s brother, who lives in Perton, near Wolverhampton, said: “I’m so heartbroken. I can’t believe they’ve gone forever.

“Kirstie was so interested in the horses that it became part of Jill’s life too. She treated all the animals like pets; even the chickens had names.

“Jill just loved life.

“I remember the last time I saw Kirstie, she started giving me grief about being an old codger.

“But it was all in good humour. You would hear her shouting the horses’ names as she went up the drive to feed them.

“There’s so much to remember. It’s just sad that I’m never going to see them ever again.”

l Mrs Cartwright was not paid any money for this interview.