Episode 49 - Louise and Tia L'Homme

In February 2003 Louise L’Homme and her 10 month old baby Tia were killed by Louise’s boyfriend Andrew Roberts. A jealous and controlling partner Roberts couldn’t stand that Louise wanted to leave him so took her and Tia’s lives and continued to party in the same house until they were discovered days later. 

This is the story of Louise and Tia L’Homme. 

Information and support 

·       Samaritans UK Contact Us | Samaritans 

·       National Domestic Violence Helpline UK 0808 2000 247 

·       Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA) Home - AAFDA

·       Women’s Aid Home - Women's Aid

·       National Domestic Abuse Helpline UK 0808 2000 247

·       Mental health support USA Mental Health America | Homepage | Mental Health America

·       Domestic abuse helpline USA 1.800.799.SAFE Domestic Violence Support | National Domestic Violence Hotline 

References 

The murder of Louise and Tia L — Welsh Mysteries and Histories — Apple Podcasts

Mother-of-three prison officer, 32, jailed over affair with baby-killing double murderer | Daily Mail Online

Dad strangled daughter and mum - Wales Online

BBC NEWS | Wales | Murder - boyfriend sought

Family of murder victim sickened after finding out monster who killed her and their baby daughter had sordid affair with prison officer behind bars - Wales Online

Credits 

Hosted and created by Clare Laxton @ladylaxton 

Produced by: Clare Laxton  

Killer in the family podcast (buzzsprout.com)

Music from Pixabay. 

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hi there and welcome to Killer in the Family podcast. I'm your host, clare Laxton, so welcome back after that mini break and welcome to episode 49 of killer in the family podcast. We have three more episodes until I take a longer break for christmas. And boy are they episodes you won't want to miss. So let's get straight into this one.

Speaker 1: 0:43

In February 2003, louise Lahome and her 10-month-old baby, tia, were killed by Louise's boyfriend, andrew Roberts. A jealous and controlling partner, roberts couldn't stand that Louise wanted to leave him, so he took her and Tia's lives and continued to party in the same house until they were discovered days later. This is the story of Louise and Tia Lahome. This is gonna be a tough listen team. I know. I know every episode really is, but this one not only includes murder but also discussions of suicide and sexual abuse. There's link to support services if you need them in the episode notes. You know this is just a really heartbreaking case. As well as news stories, I have listened to an episode of the podcast Welsh Mysteries and Histories for this case and all my sources are in the episode notes as well. So let's start with Louise.

Speaker 1: 2:09

Louise Lahome was born to mother Georgina or Gina in Ronda in South Wales in the early 1980s. Her mother brought her up as a single parent and they had a really close relationship. Growing up, louise stayed close to her mother and didn't stray far from South Wales, the South Wales town that they both lived. I couldn't find out loads about Louise's childhood, but what I could ascertain was that she was a much-loved member of her family who had lots of friends and was really close with her family too and was really close with her family too. When Louise was around 18 years old, she had a relationship and a daughter with a partner. Her eldest daughter is still alive, so I'm not going to name her here and sort of keep her privacy and anonymity. Now, unfortunately, that relationship didn't last, but Louise and her daughter moved in to live with her mum Gina until they got a place of their own. Now, louise's mum Gina actually said that her and Louise never had an argument until Louise met her next boyfriend, a man called Andrew Roberts. Now again, I couldn't find loads of information about how Louise and Roberts actually met, but he was a year younger than Louise and they met when she had moved out of her mum's place into a house of her own, so maybe he lived in the same street or had friends in that neighbourhood, I'm not sure, so I couldn't find loads of information about it. But Roberts was also born in South Wales and although I couldn't find out loads about his family and childhood, I did find a Wales online article that described his criminal history from quite a young age.

Speaker 1: 3:56

So strap in for this one team. In 1997, when Roberts was just 14 years old, he served a nine-month sentence at a young offenders institute for car theft and criminal damage. Again in 1997, he was given a three-month sentence by Cardiff Court for aggravated vehicle taking. So the aggravated bit involves not only stealing a car but aggravating factors such as alcohol or drugs or aggressive driving. In 1998, so he was 15 here he was given a two-year sentence for a crime that I couldn't actually find what it was. In 1999, he was given a sentence for robbery after he took money off a man who he claimed owed him money for drinks. And finally, in November 2001, he was given a two and a half year sentence for offences including burglary, theft and taking cars. He was released on January, the 10th 2003. Keep this date in mind for later.

Speaker 1: 5:02

So in Roberts we clearly have a man who has most probably had some sort of trauma and troubles in his childhood, who fell into crime from a very early age and was consistently serving time in prison. His story is probably not an unfamiliar one for those of you that might work in criminal justice or around that sector Lots of short sentences for young men who actually aren't necessarily doing anything to deter them from a life of crime. Now, according to news articles, roberts also struggled with substance misuse, primarily heroin, and I'm sure that his stints in prison from such a young age did nothing to help that. Now you'll notice that the last prison sentence Robert served was in 2001 to 2003,. And this is actually when he was in a relationship with Louise. In fact, his daughter, tia, was born when he was in prison, around April 2002. And Louise was pregnant with Tia when Roberts went to prison in November 2001. And when they were in a relationship and Roberts wasn't in prison, it sadly wasn't a happy or healthy relationship.

Speaker 1: 6:23

It might not surprise you, considering his criminal and violent history, that Roberts was a jealous and controlling partner. He abused Louise and controlled her every move and her behaviour. Her friends and family didn't like him as soon as they met him and apparently Louise was quite open with her mum, gina, about Robert's substance misuse and she wanted to give him a second chance at life. Louise was very compassionate and had that caring heart, so she really wanted to give him the support he needed and give him that second chance. Now one of Louise's friends, julie Morgan, told Wales Online about some of his controlling behaviours. Quote he was obsessively jealous about Louise. He would stand by her if she left him to go and dance and would hardly allow her to leave his side. Another example of his coercive and controlling behaviour happened at a party at Julie's house where apparently Louise and Roberts got into an argument and then they were locked in a toilet together and when they came out Louise said that he had strangled her to the point of her being unconscious.

Speaker 1: 7:39

Now I don't need to tell you how dangerous this type of controlling behaviour and physical violence is. We've talked about it a lot on the podcast already and I recently completed my master's dissertation into coercive control and intimate partner homicide. We have talked also about how hard that control from a partner and that coercion how hard it makes it for women to leave abusive relationships, especially if they become pregnant, as Louise did. Not only is this type of abuse very dangerous. We also know that the point at which someone tries to leave an abusive relationship is also one of the most dangerous times for women and children, and when they are, they are at huge risk of homicide and murder.

Speaker 1: 8:34

In February 2003, just weeks after Roberts got out of prison and returned to the home he and Louise shared with their baby Tia in Tyler's, tylerstown, south Wales, louise asked Roberts to pack his bags and leave. She was sick of his abuse and violence. Now, fast forwarding a little bit to the 15th of February 2003, louise actually went to her mum's house with her eldest daughter on this day and asked her to look after her for the night. She said that her and Robert had been arguing, but she would call her mum later that evening. It is believed that this is the date that Robert murdered Louise and Tia.

Speaker 1: 9:40

The next day, gina went round to their house as she hadn't heard from Louise and she was really worried. Roberts answered the door and said that Louise and Tia had gone to visit some friends and they weren't there. Gina thought this was pretty strange, as usually Louise would tell her if she was going away and also Gina had her eldest daughter, so it was really strange for Louise to not come and pick her up or tell her about any change of plans. So on the 17th of February, the next day, having still not heard from Louise, gina and Louise's uncle went to the house to look for her again. This time Roberts wasn't there and they wanted to investigate for themselves. So Louise's uncle, john Llewellyn, climbed to an upstairs window to try and get into the house. The next thing Gina heard was a scream. He had found Louise and Tia dead in an upstairs bedroom.

Speaker 1: 10:42

Obviously, the police were called straight away and Roberts was immediately sought. Initially, police were concerned about his welfare because they didn't know where he was and like, was he involved or injured in this crime as well? And they they wanted to know that he was okay, but also he was probably a suspect too. Now police found a note in the house, presumably written by Roberts, saying that Louise and Tia had gone to stay with friends in a town called Ferndale. To me he had clearly gone on the run. While police were looking for Roberts, they actually arrested two men in connection with the murders, but they were later released on bail. Now this information was in a couple of news articles, but I couldn't find anything else about these arrests or who these men were or what they presumably had done. Unfortunately, but after a five-day manhunt for Roberts, he was actually arrested by two police officers in the car park of the Tesco supermarket in Upper Boats, near Pontypridd. He had apparently taken an overdose and was trying to take his own life.

Speaker 1: 12:01

With Roberts in custody and a community reeling police started to put together what they think happened on the 15th of February 2003. That night Robert had been out partying with friends and presumably pretty pissed off that Louise had asked him to pack his bags and leave. He came back to their house pretty angry, maybe high and full of rage. Lots of news articles, in a classic form, said that he just snapped, but I believe that he had been thinking about killing Louise and Tia for days. He had apparently said to Louise that if he couldn't have her, no one could. This should be the bloody slogan of the coercive controller. So when he returned from his partying to the house they shared, roberts actually strangled and killed Louise with his bare hands. He then strangled and killed Tia with an item of clothing. They were both found in an upstairs bedroom, which says to me that Louise might have gone to that room to protect Tia from Roberts.

Speaker 1: 12:59

There were rumours that they had been stabbed, but these rumours were not true and there are a couple of really particularly horrific aspects to these murders, and this is going to be a tough listen here. Firstly and I just I hate this after he killed Louise and Tia, roberts continued partying in the same house. He partied with his mates like drinking and taking drugs, like nothing had happened, like he didn't have the dead bodies of his partner and daughter 10 month old daughter upstairs, and even though he had apparently been taking drugs that night, I just I cannot imagine the level of callousness for someone to do something like that, although, according to reports, he did spray perfume and aftershave around their bodies so they wouldn't smell for the party goers in the house that night. So that was nice and considerate of him, wasn't it? I just cannot with this guy. What an absolute piece of crap.

Speaker 1: 14:18

Secondly and this is the sort of second horrific aspect of this murder, as well as the murder apparently, when police investigated the scene, they found semen on the bodies of both Louise and Tia. They deduced from this that Roberts had not only murdered them but had also sexually assaulted them both of them, and whether this was before or after they were killed, I'm not sure, but it is just absolutely horrific. There are no more words to describe what this scumbag did. Louise Lahonne was just 23 years old when she was killed by her partner. Tia Lahonne was just 10 months old when she was killed by her father, the person who should have loved and protected her the most.

Speaker 1: 15:31

Now, as with so many of these cases, the community was in total shock. After the murders, a bbc news article had some quotes from neighbours like after this had happened, and they said things like quote people in the village are very frightened. The news is devastating. All our thoughts go with the family. It's such a tragedy. Everyone is so shocked in the village. It's a typical Valleys village. It's a nice place to live. You don't expect it in your street. It's shocking for the community.

Speaker 1: 16:03

Now, thankfully, after his arrest, roberts pleaded guilty to both murders, so spared the family of a trial. John Rhys was representing Roberts at his sentencing and said that what happened was out of character. At his sentencing and said that what happened was out of character and Roberts felt quote horror, shame and disgust at what he did that night. I find that extremely unlikely considering some of his actions after he went to prison, but we'll talk about that in a bit. In September 2003, robert was sentenced to two life sentences by Justice Christopher Pritchard. He was given 24 years in prison and this was reduced to 23 years after an appeal. This sentence does mean, however, that Robert will be eligible for parole next year, in 2025. It sort of doesn't bear thinking about that. He might actually get a chance to be free just next year after what he did Now.

Speaker 1: 17:04

In the sentencing, according to Wales Online, the judge said quote you committed the depraved and brutal destruction of your own family. The fact that you were on a cocktail of drugs at the time does not excuse what you did, absolutely, absolutely. And to demonstrate you know just how bad he did feel about what he had done. As his solicitor had said, roberts actually wrote to Louise's mother on the anniversary of the murders, 15th of February 2004. But no, this wasn't to say sorry or express remorse, but to request the return of some of his property from their house a gold signet ring and some gold earrings. I mean, what like what? The actual? So clearly his defense that his sentencing was just absolute bs, and Louise's mum, gina, talked about how awful it was to receive this letter, coupled with the fact that she was advised that she might actually have to go to court to prove that the earrings and ring were Louise's. I mean, talk about rubbing salt into the wound. And the fact that he wrote this letter on the anniversary of the murders was clearly deliberate. He was taunting Louise's family and continuing to try and exert control over her via them.

Speaker 1: 18:29

And there's a final chapter in this story which once again demonstrates what a callous, uncaring piece of crap Roberts is. 2021, a prison officer, lauren McIntyre, was sentenced to three years for having a sexual relationship with a prison inmate in HMP Isle of Wight's Albany prison. Yeah, you guessed it that prison inmate was none other than Andrew Roberts, the same guy who was just so full of remorse for what he did. What a load of crap. Roberts was 38 years old at this time, and it just makes me feel so sad that he has been able to see his 30th, 35th birthdays, but denied Louise the same chance and Tia the chance to even reach her first birthday. And I actually really I don't want to dwell on this part of the story, although, as I'm sure you can imagine, there are loads of like salacious news articles about this bit, but this episode is not about him. This episode is about Louise and Tia and her eldest daughter, who still has to live with the trauma of what Roberts did. I think it's just another indication about what a piece of crap Roberts is and how he is still only thinking about himself. The fact that he could be up for parole next year is just awful and once again, this being in the news just continues to re-traumatise Louisa's family family. It's something that people don't think about that often, but it's so important to remember that whenever an inmate is in the news or they're up for parole, it impacts on the families of the victims. This episode is dedicated to remembering Louise and Tia, to the joy and love Louise brought to her family and friends, to the unlived potential of little 10-month-old Tia. We remember them and hope that Louise's eldest daughter has the support she needs, and we think about her as well.

Speaker 1: 20:38

This has been Killer in the Family podcast written and produced by me, claire Laxton. I'll be back next week with a new episode, so please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts written and produced by me, claire Laxton. I'll be back next week with a new episode, so please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, don't forget to send me any comments or questions to my Insta at KillerInTheFamilyPod, or through a text via the link in the episode notes. Do let me know any stories you'd like me to cover as well. Also, don't forget that you can buy me a coffee. No-transcript.