Strangled girl might have been sexually assaulted

A nine-year-old girl found strangled in the cab of the lorry belonging to her mother's partner might have been sexually assaulted, police said today.

The body of Stacey Lawrence was discovered on Saturday in the cab of a Spar grocery lorry at a filling station by the side of the A605 near Warmington, Northamptonshire.

The body of Darren Walker, the partner of the Lawrence's mother, was found hanged in woodland nearby.

"We cannot rule out now that there was some sexual touching involved in this incident," Detective Chief Inspector Tricia Kirk told reporters.

Walker, who is suspected of murdering the girl in the lorry before killing himself, had received a caution for assaulting his wife who is now in the process of divorcing him, Kirk said.

Police are trying to track down his previous partners to see if he had any previous history of violence towards them or their children.

Kirk said the couple had been together for about a year and Roxanne Lawrence trusted him, and had no reason to suspect he would cause her daughter harm.

"The picture we get from the family is that there was never any cause for concerns about his relationships," Kirk said.

"If there ever were any arguments amongst the children, Mr Walker always took a back seat and never got involved, was always quite calm among the children and family."

Kirk said Stacey's mother was devastated by the death and that her daughter, the youngest of four children, was popular and artistic, loved animals and wanted to become a zookeeper.