Man 'killed ex-partner's mother and leapt to his death'

A man stabbed his ex-partner’s mother to death then left a chilling message in blood before leaping from the top floor of a city centre car park today, a police source said.

His victim was named locally as Carol Berry, 66, who was knifed at her semi-detached bungalow in the Bradley area of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, at about 6.40pm yesterday.

He also stabbed her 36-year-old son, named by locals as Andrew Field, who remained in hospital.

The 40-year-old, yet to be formally identified by police, then travelled 30 miles to a multi-storey car park in Hanover Street, Manchester, where he jumped from the eighth floor soon after midnight.

Written in blood on a wall was the chilling message: “F*** you Claire.”

A source said the message was linked to the murder investigation, and was thought to be directed at the man’s ex-partner, named by locals as Claire Tootill.

It was understood the couple had split acrimoniously.

“It is not known if the woman who died was the intended victim,” the source said. “But she might well have been.”

Police believe no-one else was involved in what they described as a “targeted” and “domestic-related” attack.