Daughter of murder victim stabbed to death minutes after he visited her as a baby on Father's Day appeals for help to catch his killers ten years on in poignant letter
'I was never given the chance to get to know him or for him to watch me grow up,' the 12-year-old wrote in the letter about Christian Bagley, who was killed in 2015 when she was only 19 months old on Father's Day.
On June 21, 2015, the 30-year-old had been to see his toddler at his ex-partner's house in Herefordshire.
As he walked home, he was cruelly stabbed and was only able to stagger short distance before being found lying on the pavement in a pool of blood.
He was several injuries to his back and arm, which are believed to have been caused by a bladed weapon.
The weapon used, believed to be a kitchen knife, remained embedded in his left arm, while the handle that snapped off during the attack has never been found.
Emergency services were called to the scene at 10.50pm, and Mr Bagley was taken to Hereford County Hospital, where he later died.
But no one was ever charged for the father's murder despite several people being arrested at the time.
Now ten years on, his daughter has once again appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
She wrote: 'Somebody taking my dad away from me when I was little is something that can never be replaced.
'I have no memories of my dad or his presence in my life - only what other people have told me.
'I was never given the chance to get to know him or for him to watch me grow up. I'll never be able to spend Father's Day, Christmas Day or a birthday with my dad.
'There's an emptiness that should not be inside me because somebody murdered my dad.
'That void within myself will always be there.
'Everything he did that day – 21.06.15 – was a 'last time' experience.
'They still haven't found who killed my dad or any answers to why somebody cruelly took him away. I love you dad!'
Christian's mother, Janette Bagley, said the last ten years of her life without her son were 'hell' and described him as bed her son as the 'kindest person you would ever meet'.
She said: 'If I was across the water, he'd have walked across it just to help us.'
'All I want to know is why? Why have you done this to my boy? He didn't deserve it, he's walking along, going home after seeing his baby daughter on Father's Day.'
'Please, somebody somewhere knows something. Ring up, or send a message, or whatever.'
'Everybody knows who I am – I don't want to be the person out there who's 'Christian Bagley's mother'.
'I want somebody to see me for who I am but for all this time, all I've got now is this, year in, year out. Just tell us why. Somebody out there knows.'
She added: 'He loved his daughter, his daughter was his life. When his daughter was born, he was the most elated person you'll ever know.'
Crimestoppers has issued a £20,000 reward for anyone with information on the murder which leads to the conviction of those responsible.
Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Lougher, of West Mercia Police's Major Investigation Unit, said: 'While we have continued to investigate this case, a decade on, it seems timelier than ever to appeal again to the public to help us get justice for Christian's daughter, mother and all his family and friends.
'We hope this heartfelt message from a daughter who has grown up never knowing her father will prick the conscience of someone carrying a burden of knowledge about his murder to step forward and help us bring those responsible before the courts.
'After ten years, loyalties and allegiances may have changed, and we hope anyone who knows something will do the right thing and speak to us.
'We would urge anyone with information to scan the QR code which takes you directly to the Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP) or visit this link Public Portal.
'Alternatively, if you don't want to speak to police, get in touch with Crimestoppers.'
At the time, Mr Bagley's brother, Wayne Wood, said: 'He had been to visit his baby daughter when he was stabbed in the back and arm.
'He was heading for a friend's house for help because he didn't have his mobile phone with him.'
He was described as a 'loveable lad' who enjoyed playing golf with his friends at the weekend.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BreakingNews.ie
4 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Teenage boys accused of Ballymena sex assault appear before court again
Two 14-year-old boys charged with the attempted rape of a girl in Ballymena have appeared before a judge again. The boys have been charged in connection with an alleged serious sexual assault on a teenage girl in the Clonavon Terrace area of the Co Antrim town last month. Advertisement The incident sparked days of race-related anti-immigration rioting in Ballymena, with linked sporadic outbreaks of violence in other parts of the North. The case was mentioned at a youth court sitting in Ballymena on Wednesday morning. The two teenagers, who interacted with court through a Romanian interpreter, appeared together via video-link from a juvenile justice centre. They were originally remanded into custody at their first court appearance two days after the alleged attack in June. Advertisement During Wednesday's brief hearing before district judge Nigel Broderick a prosecution lawyer said a file on the case was still being prepared. The prosecutor said she would confirm to the court at the next sitting whether an achieving best evidence (ABE) interview had been completed with the alleged victim. Both boys are accused of attempting to orally rape the girl. At their first court appearance last month, a judge was told both accused denied the alleged offence during interview with police. Advertisement The teenagers spoke briefly during Wednesday's hearing to confirm they understood what was being discussed in court. Ireland Facebook being used to coordinate racist attacks i... Read More The boys were further remanded in custody as the case was listed again for a further review hearing on July 16th. Legal representatives for both accused did not raise any objections to their further remand into custody. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800 77 8888 , access text service and webchat options at or visit Rape Crisis Help
BreakingNews.ie
17 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
British killer nurse Lucy Letby could face more charges
Murder squad detectives investigating British child killer Lucy Letby have passed evidence of further allegations related to baby deaths and collapses at the hospitals where she worked. The allegations are now being considered by lawyers at the UK Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) after receiving the new evidence from Cheshire Police in recent days. Advertisement The number and exact nature of the potential new offences has not been made public yet and it could take weeks before a decision is made on whether to charge Letby with more offences. In a statement, a CPS spokesman said: 'We can confirm that we have received a full file of evidence from Cheshire Constabulary asking us to consider further allegations in relation to deaths and non-fatal collapses of babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women's Hospital. 'We will now carefully consider the evidence to determine whether any further criminal charges should be brought. Letby was a nurse at Liverpool Women's Hospital (Alamy/PA) 'As always, we will make that decision independently, based on the evidence and in line with our legal test.' Advertisement A spokeswoman for Cheshire Police said: 'We can confirm that Cheshire Constabulary has submitted a full file of evidence to the CPS for charging advice regarding the ongoing investigation into deaths and non-fatal collapses of babies at the neo-natal units of both the Countess of Chester Hospital and the Liverpool Women's Hospital as part of Operation Hummingbird.' The Daily Mail has reported consideration of any new charges will involve the British government's most senior lawyers, including Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions, and Attorney General Lord Hermer KC. News of potential fresh charges emerged hours after police confirmed three people who were part of the senior leadership team at the hospital where Letby worked have been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. Cheshire Constabulary said the suspects, who occupied senior positions at the Countess of Chester Hospital (CoCH) between 2015 and 2016, were arrested on Monday. Advertisement All three have since been bailed pending further inquiries, the force added. Lady Justice Thirlwall will deliver her findings in early 2026 (Peter Byrne/PA) Letby (35), from Hereford in England, is serving 15 whole-life orders after she was convicted of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others, with two attempts on one of her victims, between June 2015 and June 2016. Police said corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter probes are continuing. Following the arrests, senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Paul Hughes said: 'In October 2023 following the lengthy trial and subsequent conviction of Lucy Letby, Cheshire Constabulary launched an investigation into corporate manslaughter at the Countess of Chester Hospital (CoCH). Advertisement 'This focuses on senior leadership and their decision-making to determine whether any criminality has taken place concerning the response to the increased levels of fatalities. 'In March 2025 the scope of the investigation widened to also include gross negligence manslaughter. 'This is a separate offence to corporate manslaughter and focuses on the grossly negligent action or inaction of individuals. 'It is important to note that this does not impact on the convictions of Lucy Letby for multiple offences of murder and attempted murder.' Advertisement A spokeswoman for CoCH reiterated it 'would not be appropriate' for the hospital to comment 'due to the Thirlwall Inquiry and the ongoing police investigations'. The Countess of Chester Hospital in Chester, where Letby worked (PA) Letby's barrister Mark McDonald said the police's latest announcement has come at a 'very sensitive time' and that a proper and full public inquiry into failings by the hospital is needed. He said: 'Yet another press release from the police at a very sensitive time when the CCRC (Criminal Cases Review Commission) are looking at the case of Lucy Letby. 'Despite this, the concerns many have raised will not go away, and we will continue to publicly discuss them. 'The reality is that 26 internationally renowned experts have looked at this case and the lead expert has concluded that no crime was committed, no babies were murdered. 'What is needed is a proper and full public inquiry into the failings of the neonatal and paediatric medical care unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital.' World Lucy Letby 'innocent' and regularly 'cried in my a... Read More Police are continuing a review of deaths and non-fatal collapses of babies at the neonatal units of the Countess of Chester and Liverpool Women's Hospital during Letby's time as a nurse from 2012 to 2016. Letby, who has always maintained her innocence, lost two bids last year to challenge her convictions at the UK court of appeal for the seven murders and seven attempted murders, and in October for the attempted murder of a baby girl, which she was convicted of by a different jury at a retrial. Lady Justice Thirlwall is due to publish the findings from her public inquiry in early 2026.
The Guardian
17 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Sikh activist who died in UK could have been poisoned, says pathologist
The family of a Sikh activist who died suddenly in 2023 have made new calls for an inquest after a pathologist found the result of the postmortem exam 'does not mean that a poisoning can be completely excluded'. Avtar Singh Khanda, 35, died in June 2023, four days after being admitted to a hospital in Birmingham feeling unwell. The official cause of death was acute myeloid leukaemia, a blood cancer. In a letter to the West Midlands coroner Louise Hunt seen by the Guardian, Michael Polak, a barrister acting for Khanda's family, said samples were not tested for 'nerve agents, biological agents or nuclear agents', which could have brought about an aggressive cancer, and urged her to reverse the previous decision not to open an inquest into his death. Khanda's death, which family and friends believe was suspicious, happened against the backdrop of India's alleged involvement in an international campaign of transnational repression targeting Sikh separatists, denied by India. UK police had said there was no reason to suspect foul play in Khanda's case, but Polak's letter includes a witness statement from Jaswinder Singh, a friend of Khanda and an adviser to Sikh Federation UK, who said West Midlands police had confirmed in a 2024 meeting that the police investigation did not include 'reviewing (Khanda's) phones, laptop, talking to his friends, co-workers, searching his home address (or) considering information about attacks on Sikh activists around the world'. Two activists, also linked to the separatist movement, were murdered within weeks of Khanda's death in Canada and Pakistan, while a third survived an attempt on his life in the US. Polak's letter includes the report of consultant forensic pathologist, Dr Ashley Fegan-Earl, who was provided with Khanda's death certificate, hospital notes, and a toxicology report. 'Consideration should be given as to whether the deceased could have been exposed to substances that may result in the development of an acute leukaemia,' he said. In his statement Fegan-Earl, who was commissioned by lawyers acting for Khanda's family, noted that 'toxicological analysis in hospital did not provide any unusual results' in Khanda's case, but said the 'limitations of such analysis must be borne in mind', before describing how 'not all poisons leave behind them a defined clinical signature' and how some toxins required specialist testing to detect. He added: 'I make no criticism of the toxicology that has been carried out in this case, but hope that the above highlights that a negative drug screen does not mean that a poisoning can be completely excluded, particularly with the use of more exotic substances that are not frequently encountered.' Fegan-Earl added: 'I have been involved with a number of cases where there has been suspicion of poisoning by unusual agents. One case … required extremely specialised testing at Kew Gardens … two other cases involved potential poisoning by foreign powers. 'These involved the use of multiple experts above and beyond the normal expertise of toxicologists, including expertise from Porton Down. There are some poisons that can only be identified if they are suspected.' Khanda applied for asylum in the UK in 2016, saying his life was at risk from Indian authorities. His father and uncle were reportedly murdered in extrajudicial killings after advocating for a Sikh homeland, Khalistan, in the 1990s, and from 2015 onwards, it is understood Khanda was on Indian authorities' radar, against a backdrop of unrest in his native Punjab. Singh said in the weeks before his death, Khanda feared he was being followed, while his mother and sister had been detained by authorities searching for the Sikh separatist leader Amritpal Singh Sandhu. Meanwhile, in the letter to the coroner, Polak said Khanda had received 'threats to his life' after a 'wide-ranging campaign' in which he was falsely accused in Indian media of tearing down the Indian flag outside the Indian High Commission in London during March 2023 protests. The protests became a diplomatic incident, making Khanda, a 'chap who delivered parcels in Birmingham, public enemy number one of a superpower', Jaswinder Singh said. 'His funeral was attended by over 5,000 people,' Singh added. 'And not one person has said '(Khanda) told me he was ill, or knew he was ill'. The loss to the community is huge. He'd be the main fixture, the main speaker in every gurdwara. Every weekend, he'd be speaking somewhere. His mum and sister are distraught – there is no closure for them.' Jagjit Singh, Khanda's next of kin in the UK, said: 'We want answers. How did Avatar die amidst all these threats? If it was Russia or Iran involved rather than India, this investigation would have been a whole different scale. Too many questions remain unanswered.' West Midlands police was approached for comment. Birmingham and Solihull coroners office said they were 'unable to comment on specific cases'.
