A COMMUNITY is preparing for the one-year anniversary of a shocking double murder of a mother and her son.

Monika Wasko, 29, was found dead by police at the family home in Cae Hir, Flint, on July 11 last year.

Her son Patryk Wasko, 11, died three-days later in the intensive care unit at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool after a battle to save him.

Their lodger Krystian Rozek, 28, was jailed for life in November last year after admitting the killings.

Rozek had been staying as a lodger with the Wasko family at their home when, after watching a World Cup match with a friend and drinking half a bottle of vodka and a couple of cans of beer, he returned to the house and grabbed a kitchen knife.

First he stabbed young Patryk who was in bed, then despite the despairing efforts of her husband Rafal, 33, Rozek smashed down a door and killed Monika, 29, a council cleaner.

A court heard last year Rozek had no mental illness, though there had been a suggestion that Rozek may have suffered from post traumatic stress after clearing mines in Iraq during national service with the Polish army.

Pupils at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Flint, where Patryk and his younger brother Adrian were pupils, have been designing a memorial garden to mark the anniversary of his death.

Rachel Molyneux, headteacher at the school, said: “He was a very special little boy and very popular. It’s coming up to the first anniversary so we wanted to do something.”

The school’s Parent-Teacher Association has undertaken a mammouth fundraising task to raise the £6,600 needed to complete the garden, featuring a gazebo which will be used as an outdoor classroom.

Pupils from the school council helped design how the garden will look and fellow students will be helping with the planting.

“They’ve really thought about it and considering they’re only little from three up to 11 they’ve had some lovely ideas,” said Miss Molyneux.

“They’ve got stepping stones which are going to be thinking bubbles so you can sit on them and think about someone.”

So far £4,600 has been raised through events such as a sponsored hop, skip, run and jump at the school’s sports day.

Pupils, staff and parents are now working hard to raise the remaining money needed and are holding a summer fair on Friday and a bag-pack on Sunday.

Trisha Mulreay, a PTA member at the school and PR ambassador at Sainsbury’s in Flint, who is organising the bag pack, said: “The teachers have been fantastic. It was terrible for days after it happened, the children were extremely upset.

“The children are committed to doing something for him. They’ve turned it into a positive thing with this garden”

Father Adrian Wilcock, priest at St Mary’s Catholic Church, will also be holding a memorial service at the school next Tuesday.

Patryk’s friends at Sir Richard Gwyn Catholic High School in Flint, the school he was due to move up to last September, have been invited to attend.

Miss Molyneux added: “It’s going to be very difficult but it’s really important because the children wanted to do something.”

The bag pack will take place at Sainsbury’s in Flint between 11am and 4pm on Sunday July 10.

The school’s summer fair, featuring games, a raffle and bouncy castle, will be held this Friday between 3pm and 4.30pm. All proceeds will go towards the memorial garden.

For more information call Cara Humphreys, PTA treasurer, on 07904656922.