England police arrest Weymouth, Mass. man in connection with stabbings

Shane M. Coffey, 19, faces charges of suspicion of attempted murder in Epsom, England. Police there released few details, but one report indicates Coffey went to a home at 4:35 a.m. Friday.

<a href="http://www.wcvb.com/news/Police-in-England-arrest-local-man-in-connectio... story on WCVB</a>

He’s accused of getting into the bedroom of an 18-year-old woman and stabbing her.

When she screamed, her 22-year-old brother ran in and was also stabbed. Their father responded and apparently restrained Coffey. The Weymouth man was hit in the head with an iron bar before police arrived. Under an English legal provision, the Mental Health Act 1983, he’s been taken to a hospital for mental evaluation.

The siblings were treated for serious, but not life-threatening injuries.

Last Saturday, Weymouth and Massachusetts State Police swarmed Coffey’s home on Lincoln Street in Weymouth looking for evidence. They have said they were acting on behalf of British police authorities and refused further comment.

Neighbors expressed surprise at the situation.

"I always wondered why that house seemed so quiet, then on the day before Easter there was a bunch of police and undercover officers at the house. I just found out what happened," one neighbor said.

A Weymouth police report indicates Coffey met the woman while playing video games online and they had developed a long-distance relationship.

Although the relationship apparently ended by December 2013, Coffey bought airfare from Boston to London. He checked into a hotel room in Epsom on April 17 and had return tickets leaving London.

The victims have not been identified by police in Surrey County England and have asked for privacy.

Read more: http://www.wcvb.com/news/england-police-arrest-weymouth-mass-man-in-conn...