Rebecca Gough The family of Mark Osler who is believed to have shot his girlfriend before turning a gun on himself have spoken out stressing he was not a “monster” and had suffered with mental health issues.

Rebecca Gough

The family of Mark Osler who is believed to have shot his girlfriend before turning a gun on himself have spoken out stressing he was not a “monster” and had suffered with mental health issues.

Mr Osler, 51, an unemployed lorry driver, is believed to have shot 40-year-old Rachel Puttock in the face outside his home on Oak Street in Feltwell before taking his own life in a nearby field.

The attack happened in broad daylight last week as Ms Puttock was walking home from a doctor's surgery with her daughter Lesley, and pushing one-month-old grandson Owen in a pram.

His ex-wife Paula Peckham, 46, who married Mr Osler in 1986, and sons Ben Peckham, 21, Swayley Osler, 17, and Jack Peckham, 15, yesterday released a statement.

Mr Osler, known as Ossie, a grandfather to Elise Peckham, five, and Oakley, one, with a third grandchild on the way, was said by the family to have a love of motor and banger racing and metal detecting which he taught his sons.

The statement said: “He found our break-up difficult and he did have a break-down and because of this was easily led. Although things were difficult in recent years, he was not himself and it's water under the bridge.

“He will be sadly missed by all of us.

“He's been made out to be a monster when he's not. When he was younger he had tattoos but he always said he didn't want his kids to see him with tattoos on his face so he went to a doctor and had them removed. He was proud of all his family and also spent a lot of time with his mum in Wormegay.

“Mark was a happy-go-lucky dad. You couldn't ask for a better dad. He was giving and helpful and would give you his last pound if he could.

“He was the happiest man alive when he saw his grandchildren and only on Saturday, had popped round to give Oakley �25 for his birthday.”

Despite a shotgun wound to the forehead, Ms Puttock's condition was described as stable after a successful operation in Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

Baby Owen was recovering with his family after suffering minor injuries while falling from his pram.

Meanwhile a post-mortem examination was carried out on Mr Osler, originally from Downham Market, whose body was found alongside a .22 single-shot pistol.

Norfolk police said Mr Osler had previously been considered eligible for a firearms licence but had voluntarily surrendered it in July, 2007 - although they were unable to confirm why.

The family went on to strongly refute a report in yesterday's Sun newspaper that Mr Osler had referred to himself as “the next Raoul Moat”.

Anyone with information on the shootings should contact Norfolk police on 0845 456 4567 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.