A pregnant mother who survived a brutal crossbow attack by her neighbour which killed her boyfriend has given birth to a healthy baby girl.
Laura Sugden, 27, shared the first pictures of baby Ella and joked she is glad the baby looks nothing like her but is the spitting image of the father her child will never meet.
Laura and partner Shane Gilmer, who lived in the village of Southburn, near Driffield, East Yorkshire, were overjoyed when they learned they were to become parents and Laura’s daughter Isabelle would get a younger sibling.
Laura and partner Shane Gilmer (both pictured), who lived in the village of Southburn, near Driffield, East Yorkshire, were overjoyed when they learned they were to become parents and Laura’s daughter Isabelle would get a younger sibling
But only a couple of months after finding out they were pregnant the couple were attacked by neighbour Anthony Lawrence.
Laura found Lawrence, 56, hiding in her daughter’s bedroom when they returned from a night out in January.
She tried to reason with her neighbour who accused the couple of trying to have him evicted.
He pushed her onto a bed in another room and then shot Shane as he rushed upstairs to save her.
Laura found neighbour Lawrence, 56, hiding in her daughter’s bedroom when they returned home (pictured) from a night out. She tried to reason with her neighbour who accused the couple of trying to have him evicted. He pushed her onto a bed in another room and then shot Shane
Dying Shane urged Laura to flee as the killer fired a bolt at her head and then tried to push the bow into her neck.
At first, it was feared Laura’s terrible ordeal may have threatened the baby but doctors found the little fighter was unharmed.
After the killing, Lawrence (pictured) fled Southburn in his Vauxhall Meriva, which he dumped in a car park. His body was found 45 hours later in a campervan
Now seven months later Laura has shared the first snaps of new-born Ella with big sister Isabelle – and memories of her soulmate Shane.
Family and friends have been stunned by the little girl’s likeness to her dad. Delighted Haley Middlemas wrote on Facebook: ‘She’s daddy’s double’.
Laura replied; ‘Yeah. She certainly is. I didn’t get a look in this time but thankful she does.’
Friend Carol Capper wrote: ‘Aww so so sad she will never get to meet her daddy xx.’
Mags Wharton said: ‘She is daddy’s double – lovely little angel’.
Bev Jane Williams added: ‘A mini-Gilmer. Beautiful. You have been so strong and brave Laura. Thinking about you.’
It is understood that Laura has been staying with her family during the pregnancy while the house in Southburn has been occupied by relatives.
After the killing, Lawrence fled Southburn in his Vauxhall Meriva, which he dumped in a car park.
His body was found 45 hours later in a campervan in a forest on the North York Moors. He is believed to have killed himself.