Thursday 12 January 2012

Birmingham double murder: Family tell of their grief after loving couple killed in their home


Avtar Kolar and his sister Michelle Kirwan make a statement to the media at West Midlands Police Headquarters in Birmingham after their parents Avtar and Carole Kolar, were discovered murdered at their home in Handsworth Wood (Pic: PA)
Michelle and brother Taz are distraught
Loving Carole Kolar should have been spending yesterday with the children who worshipped her.
Instead the youngsters who called her Nanny Cal were given the heartbreaking news that they will never see her again.
Carole, 58, and husband Avtar, 62, were brutally murdered inside the neat, semi-detached home where they regularly played games with their four children and eight grandchildren.
Now the whole family is struggling to come to terms with the brutal killing of the popular couple – as the huge hunt for their killers continues.
Their daughter Michelle Kirwan broke down in tears yesterday as she appealed for help in tracking down those responsible.
Clutching a card to Nanny with a poem penned by her children, she struggled to get out the words as she sobbed: “The light was switched out in our lives and our hearts have been broken forever. My mum and dad were the sweetest, kindest people and would do anything for anyone.
“They were the beautiful parents of myself, Jason, Taz and Marie, and the precious nanna and grandad of eight grandchildren, who adored them with all their hearts.”
Avtar Kolar and his sister Michelle Kirwan make a statement to the media at West Midlands Police Headquarters in Birmingham after their parents Avtar and Carole Kolar, were discovered murdered at their home in Handsworth Wood (Pic: PA)
Michelle and Taz at the press conference
Michelle, 39, added: “We met every week at Nanny’s where all the family got together for food and mum played bingo and card games with all the children, with sweets as prizes.
“It was noisy and chaotic but we would never miss it. Mum worked within her grandchildren’s school at a before and after school club where she was known by everyone as Nanny Cal.”
She described Carole as being “like the Pied Piper with the children”. They would follow her around everywhere and on Thursdays – “Nanny’s special day” – she would bring in sweets for all the children as a reward for being her stars.
“As a family we could not have been closer. We did everything together, holidays, Christmas, birthdays and weddings. We adored each other and loved each other so much. Whoever has done this has not taken just two lives, but a further 16.
“Our hearts are broken and our lives will never be the same.”
Michelle read out some of the loving tributes she had received to her parents. They spoke of Carole as “truly an amazing woman” and “one in a million – such a happy and positive lady”.
 Avtar and Carole Kolar
Carole and Avtar Kolar
Another poignant message, on a bouquet of red roses outside the couple’s home in Handsworth Wood, Birmingham said: “We love you to the moon and back, our life will never be complete again, we adore you, love you forever.”
It was signed simply “your grandchildren”.
Michelle hugged her younger brother Taz, 32, at a West Midlands Police press conference as they appealed for help in catching the killers.
Taz, who became a father just a week ago, wept as he admitted: “We’re all struggling to come to terms with this. The hardest thing anyone could ever do is tell their children that they will never see nanny and grandad again.
“We are all hurting so much because they were so special. Not only to us, but to everybody who ever met them.”
He added: “Somebody out there knows who did this, so please I beg of you to help us catch them.”
Carole and retired florist Avtar were found dead on the ground floor of their home by their 37-year-old policeman son Jason, a detective constable, at 8am on Wednesday. He had become concerned after Carole failed to turn up for work at the breakfast club at her grandchildren’s school.
The couple, who had been married for 40 years, are said to have been subjected to a vicious, sustained attack.
Police believe they may have been the victims of a bungled burglary, following a spate of recent gold thefts in the area.
But they have not ruled out the possibility that they may have been murdered in a revenge attack because of Jason’s job.
Police at the scene in Handsworth Wood, Birmingham, after the bodies of Avtar and Carole Kolar were discovered
Police at the murder scene in Handsworth Wood, Birmingham 
Det Supt Richard Baker, who is leading a team of more than 60 detectives, said they had already received valuable information from the public.
But he urged more people to come forward to solve what he described as a horrendous crime.
He said: “This has devastated not just one family but an entire community.”
Postmortem examinations were being carried out last night as forensic officers continued to search the house and surrounding area for clues.

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