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| Wells-Burr family: 'Rafal Nowak became a son and he betrayed us all' | Wells-Burr family: 'Rafal Nowak became a son and he betrayed us all' |
| (4 months later) | |
| The parents of Catherine Wells-Burr have spoken of their feelings of horror and betrayal that the boyfriend of their beloved daughter murder her and then allowed them to comfort him for his supposed loss. | The parents of Catherine Wells-Burr have spoken of their feelings of horror and betrayal that the boyfriend of their beloved daughter murder her and then allowed them to comfort him for his supposed loss. |
| Wells-Burr's mother, Jayne, hugged Rafal Nowak after her death, let him call her "mummy" and told him that her daughter had loved him. | Wells-Burr's mother, Jayne, hugged Rafal Nowak after her death, let him call her "mummy" and told him that her daughter had loved him. |
| Ms Wells-Burr said: "He is scum and he has betrayed us so badly." | Ms Wells-Burr said: "He is scum and he has betrayed us so badly." |
| She said that after police told her in the early days of their investigation that he was regarded as a witness rather than a suspect, she decided to offer him all the support she could. "My thoughts were that if Catherine loved him so much, and he was part of our family, then he should return." | She said that after police told her in the early days of their investigation that he was regarded as a witness rather than a suspect, she decided to offer him all the support she could. "My thoughts were that if Catherine loved him so much, and he was part of our family, then he should return." |
| Now she considers Nowak an "evil" person who should spend the rest of his life behind bars. | Now she considers Nowak an "evil" person who should spend the rest of his life behind bars. |
| Wells-Burr's father, Philip, added: "We took him in. He became a son and he betrayed us all." | Wells-Burr's father, Philip, added: "We took him in. He became a son and he betrayed us all." |
| The family met Nowak in 2010 when he began dating Wells-Burr after meeting her on the production line at the Numatic International factory in Chard, Somerset, which produces home appliances such as the Henry vacuum cleaner. Her parents and sister, Leanne, also worked at the plant and they watched as the relationship appeared to flourish. | The family met Nowak in 2010 when he began dating Wells-Burr after meeting her on the production line at the Numatic International factory in Chard, Somerset, which produces home appliances such as the Henry vacuum cleaner. Her parents and sister, Leanne, also worked at the plant and they watched as the relationship appeared to flourish. |
| Following her graduation from Bath Spa University, Wells-Burr became a business analyst and she and Nowak bought a home together. | Following her graduation from Bath Spa University, Wells-Burr became a business analyst and she and Nowak bought a home together. |
| Mr Wells-Burr said: "They always seemed to be happy, they would do everything together. They were always calling each other up every day, in work hours as well. He would find time to cook meals for her." | Mr Wells-Burr said: "They always seemed to be happy, they would do everything together. They were always calling each other up every day, in work hours as well. He would find time to cook meals for her." |
| Ms Wells-Burr added: "They were always very happy, always used to call each other darling and gorgeous." | Ms Wells-Burr added: "They were always very happy, always used to call each other darling and gorgeous." |
| Wells-Burr spoke of marriage and having children with Nowak, but her mother said that she did not think the relationship would have lasted. | Wells-Burr spoke of marriage and having children with Nowak, but her mother said that she did not think the relationship would have lasted. |
| "I wouldn't have said he was the one. I think Catherine would have outgrown him. She was very career-minded, and I think she probably would have had a good job, probably not with him." | "I wouldn't have said he was the one. I think Catherine would have outgrown him. She was very career-minded, and I think she probably would have had a good job, probably not with him." |
| But only months after the couple bought their house together, Catherine was murdered. | But only months after the couple bought their house together, Catherine was murdered. |
| The family were alerted that something was wrong when Nowak texted Leanne to ask her to check if Wells-Burr's car was outside the house. | The family were alerted that something was wrong when Nowak texted Leanne to ask her to check if Wells-Burr's car was outside the house. |
| "Leanne thought Catherine had just been late for work," said Ms Wells-Burr. | "Leanne thought Catherine had just been late for work," said Ms Wells-Burr. |
| "When I got to the house where Catherine lived I just knew something was desperately wrong, I just rang the police straight away. I just had that feeling, the mother's instinct, that something was very, very wrong." | "When I got to the house where Catherine lived I just knew something was desperately wrong, I just rang the police straight away. I just had that feeling, the mother's instinct, that something was very, very wrong." |
| Mr Wells-Burr said: "I got a phone call just before 10am to say that Catherine was not at work. I couldn't believe it." He said he went to find Nowak and asked him: "Where's Catherine?" He said Nowak replied: "She was there when I left her this morning." | Mr Wells-Burr said: "I got a phone call just before 10am to say that Catherine was not at work. I couldn't believe it." He said he went to find Nowak and asked him: "Where's Catherine?" He said Nowak replied: "She was there when I left her this morning." |
| The family were in the young couple's living room awaiting her return when they were told a car had been found on fire with a body in it. | The family were in the young couple's living room awaiting her return when they were told a car had been found on fire with a body in it. |
| Ms Wells-Burr said she suspected Nowak. "My thoughts were that he had done it. They always looked like they loved each other, adored each other." But before the car was found, she said he had said a "couple of things" that struck her as odd. | Ms Wells-Burr said she suspected Nowak. "My thoughts were that he had done it. They always looked like they loved each other, adored each other." But before the car was found, she said he had said a "couple of things" that struck her as odd. |
| "He said to me that he begged her not to go, which I thought was a strange thing, and he thought he had lost his world and he had lost his future. | "He said to me that he begged her not to go, which I thought was a strange thing, and he thought he had lost his world and he had lost his future. |
| "I thought: 'She's just missing, why would you say that?' It just didn't make sense and I thought, 'It's not right'. | "I thought: 'She's just missing, why would you say that?' It just didn't make sense and I thought, 'It's not right'. |
| "We had a call at 3pm the following day to say he had been arrested for Catherine's murder. "We sat down just besides ourselves, the emotions going up and down all the time, thinking he is innocent, then he is not." | "We had a call at 3pm the following day to say he had been arrested for Catherine's murder. "We sat down just besides ourselves, the emotions going up and down all the time, thinking he is innocent, then he is not." |
| Ms Wells-Burr said that as soon as they bought the house together and took out life insurance, her daughter's fate was sealed. "She had a price on her head, I told the police that. Really, she signed her own death warrant; as soon as she signed the mortgage that was it." | Ms Wells-Burr said that as soon as they bought the house together and took out life insurance, her daughter's fate was sealed. "She had a price on her head, I told the police that. Really, she signed her own death warrant; as soon as she signed the mortgage that was it." |
| Describing her daughter, she said: "She was a beautiful girl, absolutely beautiful. We were so proud when she got her first-class degree from Bath Spa University. She was a determined, hardworking, beautiful girl. We don't know how to carry on without her. | Describing her daughter, she said: "She was a beautiful girl, absolutely beautiful. We were so proud when she got her first-class degree from Bath Spa University. She was a determined, hardworking, beautiful girl. We don't know how to carry on without her. |
| "She had so much to live for, so much potential and there was so much there for her, and she has been robbed. We've been robbed." | "She had so much to live for, so much potential and there was so much there for her, and she has been robbed. We've been robbed." |
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