Aaron Cockman reveals motive behind Margaret River massacre in heartbreaking interview
The man who lost all four of his children after their grandfather shot them in their sleep before turning the gun on himself broke down in tears last night as he remembered his “beautiful kids”.
In an emotional interview on Channel 7’s Sunday Night, Aaron Cockman explained the circumstances he believes led his former father-in-law, Peter Miles, to commit Australia’s worst mass shooting since the Port Arthur massacre.
Miles murder Taye, 13, Rylan, 12, Ayre, 10 and Kayden, 8, their mother Katrina Miles, and grandmother Cynda Miles at home in Osmington, a rural region near Margaret River in Western Australia.
Mr Cockman described the heartbreaking moment he found out his children were dead.
“I’m working on a job site, and I just looked at my phone then I hear this message from the police saying, ‘Can we talk to you?’” he said.
His colleagues, who had learned of the news on the radio, asked if he had heard that four kids and three adults had died.
“My heart just dropped,” he said. “And I said, ‘Yeah, I think that’s my kids’. I said, ‘I’ve got the police coming here now.’”
“I still can’t believe that this is even happening,” Mr Cockman said.
Mr Cockman said the pressure of a custody dispute over the children caused strain on both families.
“The children started to be groomed to hate us and to hate Aaron,” said Mr Cockman’s mother Kim. “And that … that was wicked.”
Mr Cockman thinks his former father-in-law killed his family to “solve the problem” surrounding the shared care of the children and because he did not want the kids to be saddened by his own death.
“It solves the problem. It solves his problem. How do I get rid of myself without everyone, all the kids suffering,” Mr Cockman said.
“If you actually thought in your head that you just cannot possibly live anymore. I just want to kill myself, I want to kill myself, but I can't, but I can't, because I don't want the kids to suffer.”
Peter Miles was being treated for depression after one of his sons had killed himself and another was taken seriously ill with kidney failure.
Neighbour Felicity Haynes said: “It was known that he was seeking psychological help and psychologists had prescribed antidepressants.”
She said Cynda Miles was showing the strain when she returned for visiting her son Neil in hospital and said there were “other things happening at home”.
“I do think she was referring to the fact that Peter was being fairly irrational,” Ms Haynes said.
Mr Cockman’s mother believes Mr Miles killed the kids so they couldn’t be with Aaron.
“He wanted those children to be with him and Cynda,” she said. “He would have to kill them all so that they weren't left on their own with Aaron. That's how much he hated Aaron.”
Mr Miles left a bizarre suicide note on the kitchen table that read: “Ex-husband, Aaron Cockman to have house content.”
Mr Cockman said he believes his children would still be alive if family court orders had been enforced, as he is convinced it was the long, drawn out court battle that led to Mr Miles’ demise.
“Myself and the kids and Kat, and even Peter and Cynda suffered so much through the court system.
“And for Peter to actually take on a farm with all my kids on it and be the father figure, it's a lot of pressure on someone that is not mentally capable and shouldn't be in that situation.”
“I’m going to put all my effort into that,” Mr Cockman said. “I’ve got nothing else now.”
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