Hereford girl, 12, writes letter in hunt for her father’s killer

“I [was] never given the chance to get to know him or for him to watch me grow up.”

Christian Bagley’s daughter was just 19 months old when her father was stabbed to death, on Father’s Day, as he walked home from seeing her.

As the 10th anniversary approaches of his murder in Hereford, on 21 June 2015, the case remains unsolved and Crimestoppers is now offering a £20,000 reward for information that sees his killer brought to justice.

As part of a police appeal, Mr Bagley’s daughter has written a letter describing the “emptiness” and “void” she continues to feel. “I’ll never be able to spend Father’s Day, Christmas Day or a birthday, with my dad,” she wrote.

Mr Bagley, 30, was stabbed twice as he walked home from his ex-partner’s house, having been targeted underneath the Great Western Way footpath, known locally as The Lines.

He had walked across Hunderton Bridge, along Villa Street next to the River Wye, in the minutes before he was attacked.

During the fresh appeal to the public for information, West Mercia Police said he managed to stagger to Charles Witts Avenue to seek help, but died from his injuries.

In her letter, Mr Bagley’s daughter 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.

“There’s an emptiness that should not be inside me because somebody murdered my dad, that void within myself will always be there.

“They still haven’t found who killed my dad, or any answers to why somebody cruelly took him away,” she added.

The police appeal earlier, took place close to the scene where Mr Bagley was killed.

His mother Janette, said anyone who was keeping the identity of her son’s killer to themselves was a “coward”.

She told the BBC his death had destroyed his family.

“He had a sister, he had brothers, he had aunties, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews. And most of all, he had a baby girl – and that baby girl was his world,” she said.

“And Christian was my world. Are you going to do the right thing and let this family have some peace? Let this family be able to grieve and move on, because they can’t.”

The knife used to stab Mr Bagley a decade ago remained embedded in his arm. Its handle snapped off in the attack, but has never been found.

Several people have been arrested and released without charge in the years since.

Det Ch Insp Gareth Lougher said officers had taken thousands of witness statements, but were no closer to identifying the killer.

He added that he hoped the letter written by Mr Bagley’s daughter would “prick the conscience of someone carrying a burden of knowledge about his murder”.

“After 10 years, loyalties and allegiances may have changed, and we hope anyone who knows something will do the right thing and speak to us.

“It may well be that there is somebody out there with information, that for whatever reason at the time felt they couldn’t come forward, didn’t want to come forward, were fearful of coming forward, to give us that information.

“I’m looking to find that vital bit of evidence, that I’m sure is out there, that will help bring closure to Christian’s family, and in particular his young daughter who’s grown up without her father in her life.”