Family and friends unite to comfort mother of murdered children Rolls and Regina Say
Service after bodies of brother and sister, 8 and 10, are found at father’s south London flat
Published: 18th February, 2011
by TERRY MESSENGER
A GRIEVING mother was being comforted this week by friends and members of her community after her two children were discovered dead and their father was charged with their murder.
The bodies of Rolls and Regina Say, who came from Holloway, were discovered at their father’s flat in south London on Sunday morning.
Rolls, 10, and Regina, eight, lived with their mother Antoinette Say in North Road and were pupils of Christ the King Roman Catholic Primary School in Finsbury Park.
Antoinette and the children moved to Islington two years ago after the family broke up.
School friends and parishioners packed into St Mellitus’ RC Church in Finsbury Park on Wednesday morning for a service to commemorate Rolls and Regina.
Among the congregation was Lorraine Dinnegan, whose son Martin was murdered aged 14 in a knife attack four years ago and whose daughter Leanne, 10, had sat next to Rolls at Christ the King.
Ms Dinnegan and other parents from the school plan to visit Antoinette to offer their sympathy and support after parish priest Father David Ardagh Walter called on the community “to show solidarity”.
Ms Dinnegan, from Offord Road, Barnsbury, told the Tribune: “I would just say to her that, although it might not seem right at the moment, in time, with support from her friends and family and the community, she’ll get through this. If I got through it, she can get through it.”
Rolls and Regina died during a weekend visit to their father’s flat in Empire Square, Southwark.
Their mother broke up with their father, Jean Francis Say, 61, around two years ago.
She and the children moved into the Solace Women’s Aid refuge in Islington and enrolled at the school in Tollington Park before moving to their own flat in July.
In his sermon at St Mellitus, just down the road, Father David praised the children for “showing solidarity” with each other after they were told the news at an assembly on Monday.
He described how they got tissues for each other to dab their eyes.
And he praised friends and fellow parishioners for supporting Antoinette in her grief.
He said: “You were in solidarity with her, right from the beginning on Sunday – expressing the same solidarity as the children.”
She was escorted back home from the service surrounded by well-wishers.
Ms Dinnegan said: “She’ll never, ever get over it. It’s something she’ll need to live with. But maybe she’ll get through it and, who knows, maybe she’ll be able to help others get through the same thing.
“Support from the community and my faith and my friends and family – that’s what got me through it. The parish, the church, the school, friends in the community, people who you socialise with – that’s who helped us.”
She said that her daughter Leanne described Rolls as “a nice boy, full of energy, who liked Beyonce”.
And Regina “was popular and well-liked and used to go to Irish dancing”.
Rolls had expressed sympathy to Leanne after seeing a picture of her murdered brother on Facebook.
Solace Women’s Aid director Mary Mason said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by the death of two very wonderful children who lived with us for 18 months.
“They were two lively, affectionate and loveable children.”
Police have asked anyone with information that could assist the investigation to call an incident room on 020 8217 6446 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Jean Francis Say appeared at the Old Bailey on Tuesday and was remanded in custody until May 23, when he will appear again for a plea and case management hearing.