Police have confirmed today that a teenager and her father found dying alongside each other in their home both died from stab wounds.

A POST-MORTEM into the deaths of a teenager found alongside her fatally injured father has confirmed the pair both died from stab wounds.

Emergency services were called to Littlefields, in Prayors Hill, Sible Hedingham shortly after 10am on Saturday where Costas Pierides and his daughter Margaret were found with life-threatening injuries.

Paramedics and police tirelessly attempted to save the pair but Mr Pierides, a 48-year-old businessman and father of five, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Margaret, 16, a former student at Hedingham School, died in Colchester General Hospital after being airlifted from the family’s �750,000 detached home in the picturesque Essex village.

Essex Police have now released the preliminary results of the post-mortem examintations however it is still not clear who killed who.

A statement said: “Both deaths were the result of stab wounds, leading to severe loss of blood, according to the preliminary PM results.

“Costas Pierides died at the house, Margaret Pierides was taken to Colchester Hospital but died from her injuries.

“Detectives continue to investigate the circumstances of their deaths, but will be making no further comment at this stage.”

Specially trained officers are supporting the devastated family who have yet to speak about the horrific incident.

Some reports last night suggested Mr Pierides killed his daughter before taking his own life, but police have not commented on the sequence of events.

However, they did say that they were not looking for anyone in connection with the murder investigation.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “We can not speculate on the sequence of events in this incident. We can confirm that officers are not investigating anything related to gun wounds.”

Known to her friends as Maggie, youngsters across the village were last night trying to cope with the shock of losing a “bright and happy” girl who had everything to live for.

Charlotte Gray, who was in Margaret’s history class at the village school, said that she would miss her “smile and careful but thoughtful ways”.

Close friend, Amy-Louise Cleaver, said: “Every time I Look up at the sky at night I will see a unique Star and know you’re still there.”

Margaret’s family and friends had been celebrating the birthday of her youngest sister, Androulla, the day before her death.

Family friends told the EADT that the Pierides house was “always a bundle of fun and joy”.

Floral tributes were being left outside the family’s seven-bedroom detached home, which last night remained sealed off with police tape as a single officer stood guard.

Others spoke of the rocky relationship she had endured with her father but said the pair had appeared to have resolved their differences.

She had returned home a few months ago after living in a youth hostel in nearby Braintree after a series of family disputes.

Friends said Margaret had recently tried to turn her life around after “a tough few months” and had started a beautician course in Braintree just days before her death.

They described how happy she had been recently after returning from Greece with her dad, her mum, Bernadette, and her two brothers and two sisters.

Kika Willings told the EADT that she was struggling to come to terms with losing her best friend.

She added: “Margaret was my best friend, she was such a laugh and a crazy girl – such fun to be around.

“She seemed to be so happy lately, she will be missed so much by everyone – it is such a shock.”

Tom Laurence, landlord of the White Horse pub, said: “I have never heard of a murder here for a very long time to be honest and I would be slightly concerned as the investigation makes me feel slightly uneasy. I am just shocked.”

Reverend Laurie Bond, the parish priest, said that the deaths had left the whole village in shock.

Prayers will be said for the family during a service at St Peter’s Church this morning – just yards from where the tragedy stuck.

- Did you know Costas or Margaret Pierides? Contact the newsdesk on 01473 324788 or e-mail news@eadt.co.uk