Murder father had threatened suicide

[23 September 2008]

A man who is believed to have killed his two daughters before hanging himself had told his former partner that he would commit suicide.

David Cass, 33, and the children's mother, Kerry Hughes, 20, had split up after a stormy relationship. Mr Cass told Ms Hughes that he was going to kill himself, but made no mention of harming their children. According to Emma Timberlake, a former girlfriend of Mr Cass, he had also talked about killing himself when they were a couple, so thought nothing of it. Timberlake, 20, described Mr Cass as 'mentally unstable' and told how he had lied about having large sums of money and several houses, rather than living in the caravan that the bodies were found in. Police found the bodies of Mr Cass and Ellie, three, and Isobel, one, at Paynes Road Car Sales in Freemantle on Sunday. The police made the discovery after Mr Cass phoned Ms Hughes and told her that the children had gone to sleep forever, and now he was going to hang himself.

To read the full story, visit the BBC News website.

Please note: Crimestoppers is not responsible for the content on external websites.

Crimestoppers is an independent charity and not part of the police. If you wish to pass on information about crime anonymously, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or fill out our anonymous online Giving Information Form.