Devastated mum Margaret Cairns says she would never have let her daughter stay with her dad if she knew she was in any danger – after the pair were found dead inside a property on Monday
A heartbroken mum whose six-year-old daughter was found dead in a property with her father says she was not aware of any danger the youngster may have been in – after police said they believe she was murdered.
Margaret Cairns, from Livingston, Scotland, says she would never have let her daughter Hope stay with her dad if she knew she would come to any harm. The six-year-old and her father Mark Gordon, 36, were both discovered dead in a property on Harburn Road, West Lothian, on Monday, January 20, after alarm bells were raised when the youngster failed to attend school.
The call triggered a large emergency services response, with police later saying they believe Hope’s death to be murder while Mark’s is being treating as unexplained. Mum Margaret is now being supported by her close pal Melanie Wheeldon, 44, who launched a fundraiser to help contribute towards Hope’s funeral when the time comes.
Melanie said: “There was nothing that happened in the lead up to this that could have sparked anything in Mark and there were no hints at all that he was a violent man. They had shared custody of Hope but if Margaret had any idea that her daughter was in any sort of danger then she would not have been allowed to go there to stay with Mark. Nobody can believe Hope is dead.
“We had no idea Mark was capable of anything like this. I have known Margaret a very long time but have never known her to be so upset, she is really struggling to cope with all of this and is at her lowest point. How do get over your daughter being murdered? Margaret is being as strong as possible but having to see Mark’s face plastered all over the news is so upsetting for her.
“She just wants to think of Hope just by her first name now so she doesn’t have to associate her with Mark in any way. Margaret and Hope had a really special relationship and she wants to focus on that.” Hope’s fundraiser has surpassed £7,000 in just days.
Hope was known for her love of animals, and at the house she shared with her mum, she had a pet cat called Roblox and a dog Milo. The youngster was also described as being extremely clever and very popular among her peers at Toronto Primary School.
Melanie continued: “Hope was just an amazing little girl. She was so intelligent and had even been learning French at the age of six. She was a beautiful little girl and had the most gorgeous smile. Everyone who met her loved her and she was such a popular wee girl in school. It’s hard to believe anyone could harm her in any way so now we just want to give her the best send off we possibly can.
“The fundraiser is just to cover the funeral costs. I wanted to make sure Margaret didn’t have that to worry about while she is grieving for her little daughter. We have just been blown away by the support and are completely overwhlemed by everyone’s generosity. I didn’t expect to raise as much money this quickly so I am really grateful.”
After announcing Hope’s death was being treated as murder, Police Scotland urged anyone with information to come forward. Detective Superintendent Grant Hendry, of the Major Investigation Team, said: “Our thoughts remain with Hope’s family and friends, along with everyone affected by this tragedy.”