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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Gemma Ryder

Family of Bennylyn Burke and murdered daughter say 'light has been snuffed out'

The family of Bennylyn Burke, who was murdered and buried under floorboards along with her two-year-old daughter, say the light has "been snuffled" out by her death.

Bennylyn, 25, moved to the UK in search of a better life after growing up in the Philippines in poverty. She was killed by Andrew Innes, 52, in Dundee, sometime between February and March last year.

It's believed her daughter Jellica was killed three days later and there were signs of sexual abuse.

Their family said in statement: “Bennylyn was the hope and light of our family. That light has been cruelly snuffed out.

“Bennylyn had bright ideas and big dreams. She bravely left home to seek a better future in a country far away. Instead, she found the worst cruelty we could ever imagine at the hands of someone she trusted. We shall be forever haunted by what happened to her in this far off place such a long way from us, her family.

Bennylyn Burke's father Ben Aquino at the High Court in Edinburgh (Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)

“In the Philippines, poor families like ours very often have daughters and sisters who seek to fulfil their dreams for a better future abroad. Never do we imagine it will end in such terror and horror.

“We cannot drive from our minds what happened to her and what happened to Jellica, or the fear they must have felt after experiencing violence from Andrew Innes. A big part of our family has been torn from us. We shall never see Bennylyn and Jellica again. We shall never know our beloved Jellica or ever see her grow up.

“We pray for the child who suffered the cruelty of Andrew Innes. We are happy that she is being cared for and recovering from her trauma. Women and girls must be protected from predators like Andrew Innes.

“There is nothing that can restore Bennylyn and Jellica to us. But the jury’s guilty verdict for murder provides some comfort to our family and friends and brings justice for Bennylyn and Jellica.”

Detective Chief Inspector Graham Smith, of Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, said: “The murders of Bennylyn Burke and her two-year-old daughter Jellica have shocked and appalled us all. Today, our thoughts are very much with their family and friends, including those relatives who travelled from the Philippines for this trial.

“This was a harrowing investigation which deeply affected everyone involved. In almost 30 years of policing, the depravity shown by Andrew Innes was beyond anything I, or colleagues, had witnessed before.

“Not only did he callously take the lives of a young mother and an innocent child, he then set out to escape justice by burying their bodies beneath his kitchen floor. His actions showed no regard for human life, or for the suffering and anguish he brought to their loved ones.

“I want to end by thanking Bennylyn and Jellica’s family for the courage they have shown throughout what has been an unimaginable ordeal and I hope that this conviction helps to bring them some degree of closure.”

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