Car electrical expert Brian Hardwick was murdered by a killer who then used his cashcard to withdraw £350. His killer has never been found and his widow Lynne, who is desperate for justice, is too traumatised to return to to Huddersfield, reports Andrew Robinson.
Father-of-two Brian Hardwick had only been married six months when he was shot in the head and chest with a small-calibre weapon in November 2001.
The 50-year-old was robbed of his leather wallet, a popper purse, work keys and a gold necklace with a broken heart design pendant. Minutes after he was shot, £350 was taken from a cash machine using his PIN number at the Asda store on Bradford Road, Huddersfield.
None of his possessions were found.
His body was discovered at his workplace, Huddersfield Car Electrical Services, on Colne Road, just before 8am on Thursday, November 22.
Brian was last seen alive at about 5.30pm the previous day. Police said his car tyre had been deliberately punctured and he was repairing it in the garage at the time of his death.
Sixteen years on his widow Lynne remains so traumatised that she prefers not to visit Huddersfield and believes she cannot properly move on until Brian’s killer or killers are caught.
“I still have his ashes,” says Lynne, 67.
“I can’t bring myself to do anything with them because I feel there is no end to it. I don’t feel ready because there is no closure.
“I think Brian is still in turmoil because of how he’s died and I can’t put an end to it. I was going to sprinkle his ashes (in Pickering) on our wedding anniversary but I didn’t have the heart to do it.”
Lynne, who lives in Bradford, finds it hard to visit Brian’s old workplace or anywhere else in the town.
“I feel a surge of pain if I visit Huddersfield. I feel that the people who killed Brian are looking at me and laughing.
“I did visit recently but I felt bitter because these people have had 16 years enjoying themselves when Brian was taken from me so cruelly.
“Huddersfield is a place I try to avoid. I just don’t feel comfortable there because there is no closure for me.
She added: “We were engaged on his 50th birthday and were married on May 12. We didn’t even have our first Christmas together as a married couple - and then he was gone.”
Lynne, who is now supported by partner Gordon, talks about Brian often and remains in touch with friends they had in common.
She remembers him as a kind man who worked hard and loved American cars.
“He never bothered anybody, was well-liked and was a gentle man. I never heard him say a wrong word about anyone. He was an American car enthusiast and had a lot of friends who he would help with car electrical work as he was an auto electrician.”
Although many years have passed Lynne can recall in vivid detail the awful events of November 2001.
When Brian didn’t come home after work Lynne assumed he might have nodded off while working, which he had done before.
It was suggested he might have had a heart attack but an autopsy revealed the shocking truth.
“The time was 4.10pm - that will stick with me for the rest of my days. Police came into the (hospital) room and said he had been murdered. When I was told he had been shot twice I passed out. I just lost it.”
She describes the months that followed as “harrowing” as she struggled to deal with her loss.
In 2004 police arrested three men but no-one has ever been charged in connection with the murder.
Lynne is hopeful that West Yorkshire Police will one day re-examine evidence in the case.
“Police did ring me last year to say they were opening cold cases up. They didn’t say they were opening Brian’s case but there is a possibility that Brian’s case would come up.”
She believes someone in Huddersfield may hold vital information which could see Brian’s killer brought to justice.
“Yes, I think the answer lies in Huddersfield,” she said.
“I think they knew the area and how to get to Asda. I have always maintained that Brian would have known of them. Whether they were customers of the garage, I don’t know.
“I think they (the killers) are hoping that they have got away with it. I don’t think they have a conscience. These people are sad and they are bad people.
“I don’t think they have any morals or a conscience. They just laugh at society.”
She says Brian will always be in her thoughts.
“Not a day goes by when I don’t think of him, especially on our wedding anniversary and his birthday.
“I used to have his photo on the wall and I would get mad with him and scream ‘why did you let them do it’ at him. I was letting the anger out.
“If someone gets in touch with the police it could lift a real weight from me. If you lose somebody to illness you can get over it. But this I cannot get over.
“The killers are still roaming the streets and are getting on with their life.”
This week West Yorkshire Police said cases remained open until solved.
Det Supt Jim Dunkerley of the Major Investigation Review Team (MIRT), said: “As a victim focused organisation our priority is to achieve justice for victims.
“We never close a case until it is solved.
“Despite extensive enquiries these cases remain unsolved and I would appeal to anyone with information about any of the cases mentioned to come forward.”
*Call police on 101 if you have any information, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
