Businessman shot dead his mother and four dogs after Northern Rock bailiffs arrived to repossess home

By Luke Salkeld

A failed businessman killed his own mother when bailiffs arrived to repossess the home they shared

Kevin Burbidge, 50, shot Marion Merritt, 71, four times in the head while officials representing Northern Rock arrived with an eviction notice.

He then shot four pet dogs and set fire to the ?250,000 bungalow before calling a friend who was told: 'Mum's gone, the dogs are gone and in 15 minutes I'll be gone - I'm going to blow my brains out.'

Tragic case: Kevin Burbidge (left) shot his mother Marion Merritt (right) four times in the head after bailiffs arrived to repossess their home

Burbidge then tried to shoot himself with a shotgun but couldn't reach the trigger due to length of the barrel and instead gave himself up to armed police.

He later claimed his mother had told him to shoot her rather than face the prospect of losing their home.

A court court heard Burbidge cracked after building up ?109,000 of debt against his mother's home during a failed venture to develop a pub business.

After he fell into arrears with the bank, a bailiff and locksmith were sent to the house Burbridge shared with his mother in Poole, Dorset, to evict them.

Burbidge reacted aggressively to the bailiff's who retreated from the house to call the police before hearing a gun being fired at the rear of the property.

Nicholas Haggan QC, prosecuting, said: 'Shortly afterwards smoke was seen coming out from the eaves, chimney and skylight. It was plain that the property was on fire.'

The court heard Burbidge initially shot his mother twice in the side of the head, and then twice more in the back of the head after hearing her murmur.

He then shot their pet dogs with a pistol.

A family friend who was outside the house telephoned Burbidge and asked what was going on.

Mr Haggan said: 'The defendant said that it was all too late. The house was on fire and he was going to let it burn so they couldn't have it and then he was going to do himself [in].'

He continued: 'About 11.09am the defendant telephoned his close friend, Andrew White, and told him: "Mum's gone, the dogs are gone and in 15 minutes I'll be gone - I'm going to blow my brains out."

When police arrived they found Burbidge in the side passage of the house holding the shotgun.

He told them: 'Don't come any closer, I don't wish you any harm,' before giving himself up.

Mr Haggan said: 'Firemen entered the property and they found the defendant's mother kneeling by the bed.

'She had been shot four times in the side and back of the head by a handgun at fairly close range.'

Police and fire crews outside Burbidge's bungalow after the shooting: Mrs Merritt was found slumped on a bed

Bournemouth Crown Court hear that when interviewed by police, Burbidge was calm and polite and told officers his mother had asked him to kill her after he shot the dogs.

He said he shot her twice but then thought he could hear her moving so shot her again two more times, explaining: 'She would just not go, the silly cow.'

Burbidge also told officers: 'We used to row like cat and dog. I said I could not wait for her to die and she said she wished she would.'

He added: 'At the end of the day I still love the silly cow and she loves me'.

The court heard that Burbidge and a friend had taken over a pub in Poole, using over ?100,000 obtained by re-mortgaging his mother's home with Northern Rock.

But the venture floundered and Burbidge, who used to run his own security firm, and owned two Rottweilers, an Alsatian and a spaniel, fell into arrears with the payments.

The court heard Northern Rock sought an eviction order which was due to be executed at 11am on March 3, 2008.

Jailing Burbidge for life, with a minimum of ten years, the Honourable Justice John Royce said Northern Rock, which was nationalised ten days before the murder on March 3 last year, had acted properly throughout the episode.

Burbidge, who refused to have any mitigation spoken on his behalf, pleaded guilty to murder.

He also admitted two counts of possessing illegal firearms and one of the illegal possession of ammunition.

After the case family and friends described former shop assistant Mrs Merritt, who took her late second husband's surname, as a doting mother who 'believed the sun rose and set with her son'.

Paul Burbidge, a cousin, said: 'Marion was a lovely lady and had lots of friends.

'Kevin's not a bad person, he has helped many people by financially supporting them. If only he had sought financial help this may not have happened.'

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