'Threats ignored' over Stourbridge killer Aaron Barley
Killer Aaron Barley, who murdered a mother and son, threatened her just three days before but support workers ‘ignored’ the warning, it has been claimed.
Tracey Wilkinson, aged 50, reportedly told volunteers about death threats from Aaron Barley, 24, just days before he stabbed her and her 13-year-old son Pierce to death in their own home on March 30.
But support workers at the Atlantic House Recovery Centre, based on Dudley Road, Stourbridge, did not inform police according to a national newspaper report.
It is alleged the incident was just one of four cases of concerning behaviour support workers did not pass on.
Barley also expressed a desire to kill in front of volunteers at Atlantic House, according to The Times.
One volunteer said they were worried about his attitude to women and another was left thinking he either wanted to ‘kill a copper or a prison officer’.
Change, Grow, Live, the charity that runs Atlantic House, said managers would have immediately informed police if they heard about the threats.
A centre spokesman confirmed that it had ‘a robust policy for reporting to the police violent intent, threats or an indication to commit a crime’.
They said: “If a member of staff, volunteer or service user raises concerns – we would report this to the police immediately.”
It added that if information was kept back it was ‘out of our control to escalate to police’ and ‘no concern was ever raised or reported to Atlantic House Recovery Centre about Aaron Barley’.
Barley’s former foster mother read violent threats on his Facebook page in which he talked about ‘taking down’ his family and wondered ‘how many he could get before he got caught’.
She suggested he get help but he refused because he did not want to take medication or risk being sectioned. The former foster parent was so concerned by the posts she reported them to Police, the court heard.
Barley was sentenced to life on October 4 and will serve a minimum of 30 years.
