Inquest set in death of mum and two children in Little Lever

house in early 2019 were unlawfully killed.

A pre-inquest review before assistant coroner Peter Sigee at Bolton Coroner’s Court set a two-day inquest date of January 6 and 7 to investigate the deaths of Tiffany Stevens, and her daughters, Casey Lea Taylor, aged three, and one-year-old Darcey Stevens.

The three were discovered at their rented terraced house in Arthur Street, Little Lever, on January 21 2019, in news that shocked the borough and the wider community.

Police initially treated the deaths of two young children as murder but Ms Stevens death was not treated as suspicious and police did not look for anyone else in connection with the death of her children.

Police scene

Mr Sigee described this case as “one of the most distressing cases I have had to deal with in my time as a coroner,” and that the “evidence suggests that Tiffany may have ended the lives of Darcey and Casey Lea”.

The inquest will look to discover Tiffany’s “state of mind at the time of the incident” and whether she “intended” to end her own life.

For Darcey and Casey Mr Sigee said it was his “preliminary view that I’m going to have to consider whether Tiffany had competency at the time”. It was also suggested that Darcey and Casey Lea may have had “substances” given to them which caused their deaths.

“If she did have competency and administered substances that caused their deaths it would need to be considered whether the various tests are made out to conclude that the two children were unlawfully killed,” Mr Sigee added.

“I will have to consider as part of that the criminal offences of manslaughter and murder. If I find the criteria are satisfied I would have to find they were unlawfully killed.

“I have seen from the evidence that these three had very complex lives with many different interactions and relationships with a lot of different people, some good and positive and possible some that were not so good or positive.”

Tributes poured into the family after the news broke of their deaths.

Paying tribute to Casey Lea, her father Liam Taylor said: “Casey Lea was a beautiful little girl who was deeply loved by many and will be sadly missed by a lot of people.”

Darcey’s father Gary Eden said: “I will love and miss Darcey forever and she will always live on through me.”