A devoted father in the middle of a divorce was being questioned over the murder of his seven-yearold son last night after the youngster was found with his throat cut.
Dafydd Field, 52, was held following the gruesome discovery of his son Jethro in their former family home in the Surrey stockbroker belt.
Friends said last night that Field, nicknamed Superdad because of his love of children, had been devastated by the recent collapse of his marriage.
His son had been on an access visit to his father when he was killed. His body was found in a bedroom at the £350,000 property in the pretty village of Farncombe, near Godalming, yesterday morning.
Jethro was found after Field drove 250 miles to his native Wales and called police to tell them about the killing.
What he said during that 10am mobile phone call prompted Welsh officers to scramble a helicopter to trace Field.
In a desperate attempt to find him, detectives used cell- site analysis to try to identify where he made the call from.
Meanwhile, officers in Surrey went to Field’s home where they found Jethro’s body. Within three hours, Field had surrendered at a police station in the town of Tywyn in Gwynedd, north-west Wales.
Last night Jethro’s body was still at the murder scene as forensic experts combed his father’s home for evidence.
Friends and neighbours spoke of their shock and said Field had been under enormous pressure after he split from his wife of nine years Stevie, 46.
Mrs Field has two children, Marcus 19, and 16-year-old Tamsin, from a previous marriage. Sources said that Jethro, a softly spoken and well behaved boy, and his mother had moved away from the house after his parents’ recent break-up, but said the boy frequently returned to visit his father.
One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: “It’s truly horrific. Jethro was a great little lad - always smiling.” Another neighbour, Jean Hogram, 57, said: “Dafydd and his wife were in the middle of a divorce.
“I can’t believe he would do anything to harm his son though - he was the apple of his eye.”
Young mother Lorraine Ranger, who lives in nearby in Farncombe, described Jethro as being “just like any other boy”.
“Jethro was not as boisterous as the other boys who hung around here with him and he was quite sweet,” she said.
“He was more popular at school. He did not really play as much out here.”
Another neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said that Mr and Mrs Field had formally split up only a few days ago.
A neighbour said of the murder suspect: “He was known in the street as Superdad because he was always ferrying the children about.”
Police said they were called to Field’s semi-detached house following a ‘domestic’ incident. Officers found the boy dead inside.
Chief Superintendent Kevin Deanus, of Surrey Police, said: “At approximately 10.30 officers attended George Road in Farncombe and as a result, a murder investigation has been launched.
“At 12.40pm a male handed himself into police in Wales and has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
“This appears to be a domestic incident and we are not seeking anybody else at this stage and there are no other children involved.’
A police spokesman confirmed last night that a 52-year-old man was still being questioned by detectives in Mid-Wales.
He said he would be taken back to Surrey this morning for further questioning by murder squad detectives.
The village of Farncombe has excellent rail and road links into London, making it a sought-after area for City workers who want to bring up their children in a countryside setting.
Businessmen and celebrities, including the broadcaster Chris Evans, own multi-million-pound homes in the area.
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