Train stabbing: Police given more time to quiz pair held over murder of father in Surrey
Detectives say incident ‘was not random assault’ as pair remain in custody for questioning
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Police have been given more time to question two people over the murder of a man who was stabbed to death on a train in front of his 14-year-old son.
A 35-year-old man remains in custody following the death of Lee Pomeroy at Horsley station in Surrey on Friday afternoon. He was arrested on suspicion of murder in a dawn raid in Farnham on Saturday.
A 27-year-old woman was also detained on suspicion of assisting an offender.
British Transport Police (BTP) said Sunday that detectives had been granted a further 12 hours to question the pair over the incident.
Mr Pomeroy, 51, had been taking his son on a day trip to London when the attack took place on a Guildford to Waterloo train.
His family described him as an “honest, bright person”.
“He was a devoted family man and did everything for his family,” they said in a statement. “He was an honourable man and would always help somebody who was in trouble. He was a loving husband and father. He will be deeply missed by all his family.”
Investigators believe Mr Pomeroy and his son boarded the train at London Road station in Guildford, but quickly became involved in a dispute with another passenger.
It is then thought Mr Pomeroy was stabbed by the knifeman as his teenage son watched on.
The suspect is understood to have left the carriage at the next stop in nearby Clandon, before the train continued a stop further to Horsley, where it was met by emergency services.
BTP assistant chief constable, Sean O'Callaghan, said no-one else was being sought in connection with killing.
“The investigation is moving with good progress and we are now confident to say that this is not believed to be a random assault,” he said. “In the moments leading to the violent killing, both men appeared to be involved in an altercation lasting three minutes. Nothing justified the extraordinary violence that followed, and we are concentrating our efforts on the on-going investigation.”
Philip Herrington, the Rector of St Mary's Church, West Horsley, who had been at Horsley train station on the afternoon of the attack, returned on Saturday to pay his respects.
“I thought I'd come and bring some flowers because you don't really expect anything like this to happen generally, not in a place like this, not on a midday train,” Mr Herrington said. “It's totally lamentable what happened and particularly for the young son to have witnessed what he witnessed.”
Additional reporting by PA