Partner of murdered man makes emotional appeal

Yvonne Davenport

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The partner of devoted dad Lee Pickles, stabbed to death at a party just weeks before Father's Day, has urged his killer to turn themselves in.

Yvonne Davenport aged 28 made the emotional appeal after her boyfriend Lee Pickles, a father of two was knifed at a house party after a fight broke out.

Lee, a demolition worker of High Street in Heywood, died after being stabbed in the chest in the early hours of last Saturday morning after attending a party at a flat on Walton close in Heywood.

His partner Yvonne, his children, family and friends have been left devastated by his death and Heywood itself has been left shocked by the incident which robbed the town of a popular local character known to his close friends as Pixie.

Yvonne said: "Lee was the life and soul of the party, he was really bubbly did everything to the extreme.

"He was also a devoted dad for his two sons Dylan and Ben.

"His boys have lost their dad; what can you say to them, it's Father's Day in just a few weeks time, it is just so awful he has been taken away. The whole town is grieving, we are all shell shocked by what's happened."

Lee was stabbed after a fight broke out at the party on Walton Close. It is thought he went back there after spending the evening with friends in the White Lion pub. There were about 12 people at the party which went on until the early hours of the morning. At some point trouble flared over what is thought to have been a minor disagreement and fighting broke out which spread into the street and a knife was produced.

Detectives have now tracked down everyone at the party except for one man, Mark Robertson aged 23, who they wish to speak to in connection with the incident.

They have urged members of the public to contact them with any information but have warned them not to approach him if he is seen.

Yvonne said: "All I know is that Lee was at a party in some flat and it kicked off and he was stabbed and he died.

"He's not a violent man but he would have given as good as he got. He said to me in hospital they hit me and hit me but they couldn't knock me down.

"They weren't man enough to do that with their fists so they used a knife when they took him.

"How do you put into words what I feel about the person who took away my soul mate, my best friend? There is nothing I couldn't tell him and nothing he couldn't tell me, we knew what each other was thinking.

"I feel robbed, like his kids and his family and the whole of Heywood, we have all been robbed."

Lee was a keen Manchester United fan and was looking forward to the World Cup at the time of his death.

He was convinced England were going to lift the trophy this time around and was also a keen boxing fan but liked nothing more than socialising with his mates and had many friends in the area.

Detective Superintendent Martin Bottomley of Greater Manchester police said: "There was a violent incident at the flat and during the course of that incident it spilled out onto the street and a knife was produced at some point. Lee was then stabbed in the chest and died later from his injuries.

"It was a premeditated incident because somebody went to that party armed with a knife.

"We tracked down everyone who was present at the party except Mark Robertson and I would urge him to go to the nearest police station to help us with our enquiries or if anyone knows where he is to call Crimestoppers but not to approach him.

"The person we are looking for clearly has their own version of events and at the moment we don't know what they are and so we are urging members of the public not to approach him."

Lee's death comes during a nationwide knife amnesty which was launched in the wake of a number of fatal stabbings.

It run's until June 30 and allows the public to deposit knifes and other dangerous weapons at police stations.

Yvonne said: "Why would anyone carry a knife to a party. I can't understand why you would do it, it's just alien to me. If the person who did has any decency please give yourself up, somebody needs to pay for what has happened and take responsibility for what's been done and give me and his family and friends some justice."

Anyone with information should contact Rochdale CID on 0161 8568437 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.