Maddie Durdant-Hollamby: Parents believe former Faversham pupil killed by boyfriend wanted to end relationship on night of death
19:15, 13 October 2021
updated: 19:41, 13 October 2021
The parents of a woman murdered by her boyfriend before he killed himself believe she wanted to end her relationship with him on the night of her death.
Maddie Durdant-Hollamby, 22, a former pupil at Abbey School in Faversham, was found dead by police at a property in Slate Drive, Kettering, following a report of concern for her welfare.
Benjamin Green, 41, killed her on August 27 before he took his own life at the same property, which he owned.
A brief inquest last month revealed Ms Durdant-Hollamby, who worked in marketing, had died of stab wounds to the chest.
Her parents have spoken to the media for the first time since their daughter's death, describing her as a "beautiful person within".
Mum Rachel Durdant-Hollamby told the BBC that her daughter was aware of her parents' concerns about her relationship and age gap – but had not said she was going to end it.
"We think she actually probably wanted to be able to come home later that evening and say 'I've ended my relationship with Ben and I'm going to go on holiday next week and have a great time'," she said.
Her mother said the day before her body was discovered, she saw on a phone app that her daughter was at her boyfriend's house but had raised no concerns.
However, the next day she received a text from one of Ms Durdant-Hollamby's friends, which asked why her daughter had not joined her and another pal on a group call the previous evening.
Fears for her welfare grew when she learned she had also missed a work meeting and a friend went to Mr Green's house but had no answer.
Her parents phoned the police but soon saw the house on a news report about a "major incident".
"That's when we both knew it was not going to be good news," said dad Steve Durdant-Hollamby, who worked with Mr Green.
Mrs Durdant-Hollamby said her daughter and her boyfriend had been arguing about her going on holiday without him the week prior to her murder.
"The hardest bit with it, we'll never understand the why," Mr Durdant-Hollamby added. "It'll never come out. We live with that, and unfortunately his family will as well."
His wife said she "can never forgive him for what he's taken from her and taken from us", and added: "She had her whole life ahead of her to live but it doesn't stop me feeling incredibly sad for his family and for him.
"He had his whole life ahead of him as well – three beautiful children, a career, a house – he had everything in his life that he'd worked towards and wanted.
"It's such a waste. It was a waste of her life but also a waste of his."
Ms Durdant-Hollamby's full inquest will be held in January.
