Boy, 5, was found dead alongside his dad inside a house in what is believed to be a ‘murder-suicide‘.
Officers from Leicestershire Police rushed to a property in Hopyard Close, Leicester, at 9pm on Monday after the pair were found unconscious.
East Midlands Ambulance Service and the air ambulance also attended but the boy and man, aged 41 – identified by police as Lee Borrett and his son Timotej – were declared dead at the scene.
An investigation is continuing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the deaths and the events leading up to the incident.
Following enquiries, no third party is believed to have been involved in the incident and police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.
The family of five-year-old Timotej Borrett have paid tribute to him describing him as a ‘bright and creative’ boy who will ‘be forever in our hearts’.
Leicestershire Police said: ‘Timotej died after being found at a property in Hopyard Close, Leicester, on Monday evening (24 July). An investigation remains ongoing into the circumstances of Timotej’s death.’
Neighbour Carole Parker, 70, said the boy’s mum frantically turned up at the house on Monday night looking for her only son when the dad didn’t bring him home.
Carole said she watched as the mother, who was separated from Lee, ‘collapsed in a heap’ after entering the property to find her ex-partner and son dead.
She said: ‘Veronica was the mum, she has a new boyfriend and lives at Earl Shilton. She lived here for quite a long time before she had the boy. The little boy, his foreign name is Timotee and his English name is Timothy. His dad was called Lee Borrett.’
She added: ‘She moved out 18 months to two years ago. The cousin came back about 9pm. She was shouting to ”let me in”.
‘She went in and collapsed in a heap on the floor. Her boyfriend and her kicked the car. I couldn’t cope with not knowing about the boy.
‘She was in my house last night, looking over the garden fence. You don’t think it’s going to happen on your street, or next door. I’ve been friends with her since she moved in.’
A file in relation to the deaths of Timotej and Lee will be prepared for HM Coroner, police said.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Sinski, senior investigating officer, said: ‘This is a devastating and incredibly traumatic incident and our investigation is continuing to establish the full circumstances in relation to the deaths of Timotej Borrett and Lee Borrett.’
