Neighbors of a police officer who died at his engagement party have revealed the celebration was loud and rowdy – until it suddenly ended in blood-curdling screams after 1am.
British-born senior officer Liam Trimmer, 29, and his fiancée Lilly Watts threw a raucous party at their home in Perth, Western Australia, on Sunday evening.
In addition to celebrating their engagement, the couple also announced to loved ones that they were expecting their first child.
But the happy moment ended in tragedy when Mr Trimmer fell and severed a carotid artery in his neck, killing him almost instantly.
Ms Watts – who is 14 weeks pregnant – told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday that her fiancé “will always be the love of my life and our baby will know what an amazing man he was.”
Now neighbors in the small community can remember being kept awake by the loud music from the party the night of the tragedy.
They said they heard men talking into a megaphone in the couple’s backyard before women began screaming in horror as the situation unfolded.
Liam Trimmer is pictured with his fiancée Lilly Watts. They were excited about the birth of their first child when he died on Sunday
Mr Trimmer fell over at home in Perth (pictured) on Sunday during his own engagement party
A neighbor said: ‘We don’t know what happened but they were outside and one of the boys turned on a megaphone at 1am, the music was loud, then the shouting and then nothing.
‘We heard screams coming from girls, like huge, high-pitched screams.
‘We thought maybe something had happened. Maybe someone fell or got hurt.”
Another said the music was so loud she considered calling the police to file a noise complaint.
She said: ‘I’m new to the area so I didn’t want to be a party pooper but it was almost 1am on Monday morning, it sounded like there were over 50 people there.’
An elderly couple who live across the street from Ms Watts and Mr Trimmer said they also heard noise from the party and were glad when it stopped.
“We didn’t think much of it, but we did notice that the police left the next day with ‘a van full of stuff,'” the woman said.
The cause of Mr Trimmer’s accident has not been confirmed.
Mrs Watts is a nurse and the guests at the party were largely made up of police officers and healthcare workers who did everything they could to save his life, but his injuries were too serious.
Lilly Watts is pictured in Perth on a short getaway with her family
Mrs Watts’ mother Channy (pictured left, with her daughter) declined to comment on the tragedy
The Watts family were spotted walking their dog on the local streets on Wednesday, with the young mum-to-be wearing her engagement ring.
Earlier that day, Mel Kelly, a close friend of Ms. Watts, created one GoFundMe page to raise money for the single mother.
The appeal raised more than $110,000 in less than 24 hours.
Ms Kelly wrote: ‘Lilly’s world was shattered by a freak accident that claimed the life of her beloved fiancé.
‘The evening was intended to be a joyful celebration of Lilly and Liam’s recent engagement and the announcement of their pregnancy, a huge milestone in their journey together.
‘Friends and family gathered to share in their happiness. In a cruel turn of events, Liam’s life was cut short, leaving a void that can never be filled.”
She said Mrs Watts had lost her ‘soulmate’, who now faces the prospect of raising her child alone while juggling living costs.
Channy Watts, Mrs Watts’ mother, declined to comment on the tragedy when contacted on Thursday.
Mr Trimmer was originally from Britain but moved to Australia in 2013 and joined the police force.
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch described Mr Trimmer as a “deeply loved” and respected officer with his “whole life ahead of him”.
“I know that if my phone rings early in the morning from a senior officer, it’s usually not good news, and tragically it wasn’t,” he said.
“I know everyone involved is really hurting right now, and I think they wish they could just wake up from this nightmare.”
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Pictured: Liam Trimmer and his fiancée Lilly Watts, who is pregnant with their first child