'There's an emptiness that should not be inside me because somebody murdered my dad'

Wales Online

6 hours ago

'There's an emptiness that should not be inside me because somebody murdered my dad'
She was a baby when her dad was stabbed to death on Father's Day - she's now aged 12 but she and her family have still not seen justice over his death
Christian Bagley was murdered on Father's Day, 2015
(Image: Crimestoppers )
She was just 19 months old when her father was killed. Now aged 12, the daughter of Christian Bagley has written a letter describing the void left behind by his death, as the tenth anniversary of his unsolved murder approaches.
On the night of June 21, 2015 , Christian, 30, was attacked while walking through Hereford after spending Father's Day with his young daughter.
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He had been heading home via Villa Street and the riverside path known locally as 'The Lines' when he was stabbed near a set of concrete steps leading down to the path.
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Despite suffering severe injuries, Christian managed to reach Charles Witts Avenue to seek help. Emergency services arrived quickly, but he died at the scene. A kitchen carving knife was found deeply embedded in his arm, but the broken handle was never recovered.
The subsequent investigation led to several arrests in 2016, but all were released without charge. The case has remained unsolved. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
Ten years on, Crimestoppers has offered a £20,000 reward for information that leads to a conviction. As part of the renewed appeal, police have shared a letter from Mr Bagley's daughter, in which she reflects on a childhood without her father, reports the BBC.
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"Somebody taking my dad away from me when I was little is something that can never be replaced," she wrote "I have no memories of my dad or his presence in my life - only what other people have told me.
"There's an emptiness that should not be inside me because somebody murdered my dad, that void within myself will always be there.
She continued: "I [was] never given the chance to get to know him or for him to watch me grow up... I'll never be able to spend Father's Day, Christmas Day or a birthday, with my dad."
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"They still haven't found who killed my dad, or any answers to why somebody cruelly took him away."
Speaking to the BBC, Christian's mother, Janette Bagley, said the family had been left shattered by his death. "He had a sister, he had brothers, he had aunties, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews. And most of all, he had a baby girl - and that baby girl was his world," she said. "And Christian was my world."
She called on anyone who might be protecting those responsible to come forward. "Are you going to do the right thing and let this family have some peace? Let this family be able to grieve and move on, because they can't."
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As the family marks ten years without justice, police are appealing once again to the public for help. Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Lougher, of West Mercia Police, said: "It has now been ten years since Christian's life was so cruelly taken, leaving a young daughter to grow up without her father. We remain determined to find those responsible and bring them to justice.
"We are urging anyone who was in the area of Villa Street, Hunderton Bridge, or the Great Western Way on that night, or who may have any information - no matter how small - to come forward. Your information could be the key to finally solving this case.'
If you have any information regarding Christian's death, call Crimestoppers anonymously via 0800 555 111 or fill in their quick and easy online form, which can be found on their website.
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According to the Crimestoppers website, t he reward will only be payable for information passed directly to Crimestoppers and not to the police. A reward code must be asked for when calling on 0800 555 111.
If you contact Crimestoppers via the online form, the 'keeping in contact' facility must be used, and a reward code must be requested on your initial contact with the organisation.