Pemberton family photo from the 1980s

Julia Pemberton, 47, and her son William, 17, were apparently killed by her estranged husband Alan, 48, at their family home, before he shot himself.

Daughter Laura, 19, survived, as she was away from the �1m family home in Slanting Hill, Hermitage, Berkshire, when the incident happened on Tuesday.

On Sunday Thames Valley's domestic violence unit revealed it had had "dealings" with the Pembertons in the past.

Death threats

A police spokeswoman said: "They had contact with Mrs Pemberton but I don't know how recently or when the last time was."

It also emerged Alan Pemberton from Bronze Ash, near Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire was under a court injunction for threatening to kill his estranged wife, Julia, more than a year ago.

Police also revealed that the 12-gauge weapon used in the shooting was not Mr Pemberton's but was owned by someone they have so far refused to name and had not been stolen.

The police would only say that the shotgun was licensed to someone in the West Mercia Police area.

'Memorial service'

On Saturday in a statement issued through the Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth, Laura Pemberton said: "First of all I want to say that we were a loving family and words cannot express how I feel or how much I miss them.

"I want to make clear the following: My parents' marriage had been in difficulty for a number of years.

"My father moved out of the house following a court injunction after he threatened to kill my mother. This was over a year ago.

A packed memorial service attended by family and friends was held in a Roman Catholic church in Newbury on Thursday for the Pembertons.