Murdered in random attack

CARL Middleton and Rose at their wedding at Oldham Register Office six years ago

Ex-Shaw man killed in the Philippines

A SHAW couple have paid tribute to their son who was knifed to death in a random killing in the Philippines.

Carl Roy Middleton, a former Royton and Crompton School pupil, was slashed across the neck as he chatted and laughed with friends in a bar. Minutes later he was dead before he reached hospital.

A local man has been arrested by police.

Carl (40) who used to work for Littlewoods in Shaw and food delivery firm 3663 in Royton, was living in a small town about four hours from the capital Manila, after marrying Rose, who is from the Philippines, six years ago at Oldham Register Office.

Rose, who was working in London, is now in the Philippines arranging Carl’s funeral.

His parents, Roy and Kaye, of Park Street, said Carl loved travelling the world and had met his first wife while working in a kibbutz in Israel.

Carl’s 16-year-old daughter Lauren was born in Oldham, but after her parents divorced, Carl travelled around Europe and met Rose on a second trip to Israel.

Mr Middleton, who works for B and Q, said: “The Home Office has been very helpful, but we still don’t know who this man was or why Carl was killed.

“Carl made friends everywhere he went, all over the world.

“He liked living abroad, he liked new places but he always came back to see us. He had loads of friends in Shaw and Royton. He was a musician when he was younger, playing guitar, and sometimes his group played in local pubs, not for money, just pleasure.”

Mrs Middleton added: “We don’t know very much about how it happened, whether this man was among the company he was with, but he severed an artery in Carl’s neck and he died before he reached hospital.

“It is like being in a dream, it is not real. He died for nothing.”

Mr Middleton said: “Carl died on Saturday and Rose got a phone call from the Philippines. She came straight up to see us, she would not tell us over the phone, but she was in a terrible state when she arrived. She had caught a coach which got to Manchester at 3.30 am, and had to wait for a bus to Shaw.

“She told us they had caught the man who killed Carl, and if he is found guilty in court, he faces a life sentence. Life means life there, they have only just suspended the death penalty.

“Carl loved the Philippines and Rose wants Carl’s funeral over there because she plans to go back and live there and have him near her. She plans to video the funeral and send us a copy, and come to see us next month.

“They had a lovely four-bedroom house and Rose is very hard working. She has a son and two daughters herself and had worked in Manchester and Middleton to support them and her home.”

Mr and Mrs Middleton plan to have a service at a Shaw church, probably in August, as a memorial to Carl, and a reception afterwards for his family and friends to celebrate his life.