Woman stabbed to death in front of terrified shoppers at Aldi
An Aldi employee who was stabbed to death in front of horrified shoppers at a store in the UK has been remembered through an outpouring of tributes.
Jodie Willsher, 30, was attacked by a man in an aisle at an Aldi in Skipton, North Yorkshire last Thursday afternoon local time.
Customers pinned down the suspect and paramedics were called to the store in Keighley Road but Mrs Willsher died despite their efforts.
A 44-year-old local man has since been charged in relation to the incident. North Yorkshire Police said the incident was not terror-related or believed to be a hate crime.
As the first images of Mrs Willsher – who was married with a daughter at primary school – emerged, she was described as a “bubbly, lovely girl” and “such a happy, friendly person”. Eyewitness accounts have emerged of the aftermath of the attack on Mrs Willsher.
A witness who did not want to be named described hearing “loads of screams” and seeing a woman lying on the floor and a man pinned down as “everyone screamed and ran”.
Local man Wilf Beattie, 68, told of how he floored the suspect with a punch and stopped him escaping by wrapping a belt and cling film round his legs.
Mr Beattie didn’t actually see Mrs Willsher be stabbed, but was less then 10 metres away and heard a commotion. As he turned round he described seeing her lying motionless on the ground in a pool of blood.
He said he punched the man accused of the murder in the face several times before dragging him to the floor and restraining him.
The grandfather-of-eight says he shouted to the man, who didn’t say a word throughout, ‘you b*****d’ before police led him away in handcuffs.
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“I saw the lass, I said hello and then walked away. I then heard this commotion, I looked around and these two fellas [one the accused, another unknown] were having an argument," he said.
“A fella had the other around the neck, I went over and saw her on the floor in a pool of blood. I just started laying into him, I punched him in the face a few times. We got him on the floor and restrained him.
“A member of staff came, got his head and a fella and myself got a belt around his legs before a young member of staff came with a big roll of cling film and we wrapped it around his legs.
“She was just lying on the floor in a pool of blood.”
Even as police arrested the man and led him away, Mr Beattie said he didn’t say a word. “I said to him, ‘you b*****d’. Why he targeted her I shall never know.”
Mr Beattie, who shops regularly at Aldi, said he often spoke to Mrs Willsher, describing her as a “nice, polite, bubbly lass”.
His comments were echoed in tributes left for Mrs Willsher – whose husband Mal has changed his profile picture on Facebook to show the couple smiling together – on a community Facebook page.
“Horrendous, so tragic for her family and for those who witnessed this barbaric act," one person wrote.
Another customer said she had seen Mrs Willsher earlier that day wearing a Christmas jumper at work.
Skipton town council’s mayor Andy Rankine said: “Skipton is a small but close-knit community where most people know each other. “The whole town is in shock and grieving over the loss of Jodie. Christmas this year will be an ordeal for many residents.”
