WEST Midlands Police’s homicide chief has said detectives still to this day don’t know what sparked the horrific attack on the Wilkinsons.

Detective Superintendent Tom Chisholm, who led the double murder investigation, said Aaron Barley remained “largely uncooperative throughout his time in police custody” following his arrest over the deaths of mum and son Tracey and Pierce Wilkinson, of Greyhound Lane, Norton, who suffered multiple stab wounds.

He told the News: “We weren’t able to interview him. He still hasn’t tried to this day to give a clear understanding at what the motives were behind this horrific attack.

"There was no build up to why this would happen. Tracey Wilkinson had been trying to help him get his life back on track.

"We’re not really clear to this day what on earth caused this attack. He never made a statement at all and we weren’t able to get a blood sample from him."

He described Barley, aged 24, (pictured below) of no fixed address, as a “very chaotic type of individual” who was known to police and social services and who spent time with a Stourbridge foster family as he was growing up.

Stourbridge News:

He said the family, who have not been identified, had been "shocked and horrified" by what had happened to Mrs Wilkinson, aged 50, and her 13-year-old son Pierce, a pupil at Redhill School, who were stabbed upstairs at their home on March 30 as husband and father Peter Wilkinson walked the family’s greyhound pet.

Mr Wilkinson, aged 47, was also attacked as he arrived back home but was able to tell police who had attacked him.

Daughter Lydia, now 19, (pictured below with Pierce and Peter Wilkinson) was away at Bristol University at the time of the horrific attack.

Stourbridge News: CASE: Pierce Wilkinson (left), his sister Lydia Wilkinson and his father Peter Wilkinson. Homeless man Aaron Barley is accused of murdering Pierce and his mother, Tracey and has admitted the attempted murder of Peter Wilkinson. Picture: HGRGT/PA

Det Supt Chisholm said Barley was arrested 20 to 30 minutes later in Norton Road where he crashed the Wilkinson’s Landrover into a wall after a short police chase and after colliding with a force vehicle in Osmaston Road.

He said Barley had remained in the locality after the stabbings and been driving around the area with the kitchen knife used in the attack in the car.

A detective for 22 years, Det Supt Chisholm (pictured below) said the case had been “truly shocking” and he added: “We deal with murders on a daily basis. It’s incredibly rare that we deal with such an incident that has such a massive impact both on the victims’ family and the wider community and the officers that have investigated it."

Stourbridge News:

And he added: "Our thoughts have always been with the Wilkinson family, in particular Peter and Lydia Wilkinson, and I’m sure they will for many years to come."