Marie and Richard Deakin at a family wedding
Marie and Richard Deakin at a family wedding

The sister of a murdered Chasetown man has begged people to come forward with information about his killers.

Richard Deakin, 27, died after he was shot in his Meadway Street home at around 8.30am on July 5.

And now Marie Deakin has revealed the effect her brother’s death has had on her life.

She said:

“I miss Richard. I feel like I just want him to come home. It is really hard for me to deal with him not being here anymore. I just want to pretend what has happened isn’t real, but it is.

“Richard and I laughed a lot together and he really looked out for me. I always felt safe when I was with him and that has been taken away from me.

“My eldest son Alfie, who is five, really misses his Uncle Rich too. He talks about him all the time. Alfie really reminds us of Richard.

“I just want some answers. I want to find out why my brother was murdered. I think the police are closing in on who did it, but I want to find out why. I feel that somebody somewhere knows something and I want to encourage them to come forward and say it.”

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Garrett, who is leading the murder inquiry, added:

“A dedicated team of detectives from our Major Investigation Department are carrying out a thorough, detailed inquiry into Richard’s murder. This is a complex investigation which is exploring a number of active lines of inquiry and making progress.

“We’re continuing to offer Richard’s family our full support and remain determined to catch his killers and bring them to justice.”

Anyone with information is urged to ring the incident room on 01785 233600 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.