Keepers Cottage

Puppy farm murders

*CHILLING and graphic content reader beware *

Keepers Cottage was the former home of John Lowe a puppy "farmer" and now convicted MURDERER with two concurrent life sentences. It was at this home in a sleepy corner of the surrey countryside where John Lowe also murdered Christine and Lucy Lee in February 2014, despite Surrey police removing Mr Lowe guns from him over a previous threat he made to someone they were returned to him 7 months prior to him using one of them to commit the double murder, the IPCC criticised Surrey Police decision to return the guns in their report and I believe the Police officers involved resigned following the report because of his killing spree in February. Despite being the main reason why people will remember Keepers Cottage the tragic stories did neither start or end in 2014, from some research into this place there was a history of animal abuse/neglect going back to 2004 when BBC Inside out investigated john lowe which ended with his breeding licence being revoked, he was convicted of breeding animals without a licence a year later. On 23rd February 2014, John Lowe (82) got in to an altercation with his girlfriend Christine Lee(66). Lowe took his shotgun, first shooting four of his dogs, and then shot Christine in the dining room. Christine’s daughter Lucy Lee(40), ran from the house and called 999 ( the call is online with a simple Google search). I heard this one too many times researching the history... she tells the call handler on the police switchboard that she is going back for her mum and does not know if she will make it out alive, and hangs up. She went back to the house and after seeing if her mum was alive she spotted John and ran for her life but did not get very fa and infact less than 20 feet from where her mum lay dead on the steps outside the back door , John shot her once in the chest, and again in the back of the head from the back door killing her instantly.. Then pointed the gun and opening fire killing his dog in cold blood that was chained to the kennel at the front and a two others one round the back not far away from the two girls body's and one to the right of the front door.

The sheer amount of scandal that has gone on at this place makes it very hard to make a summary therefore I would suggest some research into what happened, a copy of the 999 call and the helicopter footage of John Lowe arrest by Armed Police is available online with a simple Google search , it really puts a chill down your spine! Watching it and just seeing him slowing walk from the back of his house from Christine now dead in the dining room past Lucy’s body where he had blasted her from the back door to the police car and place his hands on the bonnet knowing he has just killed two woman and his own dogs they lay within 30 feet of him at that point still not even cold... Just shocking loss of life!! The saga continued when the daughter of Christine, and sister of Lucy Lee was convicted of unlawfully obtaining £107,950 from the bank accounts of Susanna Wilson, John Lowe long term partner prior to meeting Christine. At trial John seemed frustrated with the women, saying that they were meddling in his affairs and "had to be put down"!! Recently the court lifted reporting restrictions to announce that Lucy sister had been convicted of fraud when she and John had taken over £100,000 of his dying wife’s money. They cited it being used for work to the house, although it was completed for a fraction of the cost. I couldn’t piece it all together, but it seems to be a bit of a family feud and it's very clear no money has been spent on the house for many many years before this shooting. The Explore:- After hearing of this place on local radio and infact driving past without knowing what had happened less than a hour before and going on to hearing the story unfold over a number of weeks in local press and over many papers a visit was needed!! The ambience that day really made it feel like a grim place, overcast but had a warm breeze. Upon entering the property you can really feel both the peaceful location but also an overwhelming sense of sadness and joy of what was and questions in your head go round and round wondering if this was ever a happy place.....

The house has beautiful surroundings of forests and fields. John was a puppy breeder and there are plenty of buildings to support that. He was also keen on birds and there are aviary’s dotted around and also 2x monkey cages that were over 30 years old . He was banned from breeding dogs, but continued anyway, and when investigated by the RSPCA, he convinced them that the 50 dogs on site belonged to Christine. A dog that was stolen from Essex was also found here I can’t find online if it was ever returned back it it’s owners The building is quite old, and very small inside given the size from the outside, Upstairs is one room with another small room off it, and downstairs there are only about 4 rooms one being a very tiny kitchen and super small bathroom and a safe thats been ripped out the wall and one very badly done extension in 1967 that’s has loads of smashed windows and parted by a set of doors at the corner one room has his old sofa in and record player still on the wall and some remains of coloured glass that u can guess were amazing when the sun came through.

The other room was where christine took her last breath and moving out the back door where John had shot at Lucy and where she also lost her life on the steps behind the main house.... Further steps lead you round the side of the house moving out and away to the outer areas you are surrounded by over 10 outbuildings sort of hashed together much like a "shanty town". Most collapsing and rotted and constructed from telephone poles, breeze blocks and either asbestos or rusty metal sheeting not something you want ANY animal in...!! All of "shanty town" buildings were in a very bad state and built on a 'that a doo" way of thinking full of animal mess of what ever living item was there... And there was even an old bath round the back of the kennels where from a few reports I found on line he used to drown anything that was not a state that he could "sell on" ...( I will leave you to guess what it was given it was a puppy farm) That just chilled me to the bone it was sooo surreal and like being in a film and macabre at the same time... Just shocking!! All the outer bird cages was rammed with poo and broken cages scattered everywhere... A few personal possessions were scattered around inc 1x pickup truck and 1x van both distroyed and contents ripped out which added to the feeling of the place being left to rot after the tragedy.