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Inquest opens into Paynes Road deaths

3:28pm Wednesday 24th September 2008 in Paynes Road Deaths Photograph of the Author By Simon Carr, Eastleigh Chief Reporter

Dave Cass Dave Cass

THE INQUEST into the deaths of a father who killed his two children in Southampton has been formally opened this afternoon.

The Coroner's court in the city heard a brief outline of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of David Cass, 33, and his daughters Isobelle Cass, one and her older sister Ellie, three.

Reading from a police report coroner Keith Wiseman said that had been a recent separation between Mr Cass and his partner Kerrie Hughes and that he was looking after the children on Saturday and part of Sunday for the first time since the split.

He went on to say that Miss Hughes had received a call at 6.42pm Sunday evening from Mr Cass, an MoT tester, to say that he had smothered the children and was going to hang himself.

The police were then called to Paynes Road garage in Shirley where Mr Cass had been living in a caravan and found the bodies of the children inside. Shortly afterwards officers found Mr Cass hanging in the car centre nearby.

Mr Wiseman confirmed that post mortems on the bodies by a Home Office pathologist found that Mr Cass died of hanging and his two daughters, who lived with their mother at Elderberry Close, Fair Oak, died of suffocation.

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Mr Wiseman said: "This is obviously a terrible event and I would like to express my very sincere condolences to the family."

The coroner for Southampton added that no police prosecution was likely to come as a result of the case.

The hearing last less than five minutes before it was formally adjourned. No family members attended the inquest and a full hearing is expected to he heard in the coming weeks.

Comments(10)

debbielou7 says...
7:02pm Wed 24 Sep 08

thankyou simon,at last nothing insulting or slandering.

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prouse says...
8:51pm Wed 24 Sep 08

I think its time everyone left them alone now and let them greve

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debbielou7 says...
12:23am Thu 25 Sep 08

prouse wrote:
I think its time everyone left them alone now and let them greve
yes you have taken the words right out of my mouth they are going through such a painful time.

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jean + mathew says...
6:34am Thu 25 Sep 08

lynn u said in wednesdays paper 2 ask urself y he did wot he did. I did ask myself and i keep cumin bk 2 the same thing he was sick and u must be just as sick as him 2 be condoning wot he did. I read in the sun and in there it says that u said he felt that he had no opition but 2 kill the tots how would u no that unless u had spoke prior 2 him killin them. And how can u sit there and say that kerrie is not a good mother when those kid where her life she thought about them more then ur son ever could of. Was it not anothe that he took everything from kerrie and the girls when he left the house he had 2 take the girls from kerries. They where only babies and had there hole live ahead of them and i hope every1 can c wot ur really doing when u say bad things about kerrie coz all ur trying 2 do is get the blame of ur sick twisted son but i,ll give u something ask ur self was brought up by u or draged up.

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Condor Man says...
9:27am Thu 25 Sep 08

Perhaps if we lived in a society where fathers had equal rights over their children this sort of thing would not have happened in the first place. Had he been married then he would have had more rights over his kids. Unmarried fathers have far fewer rights over their children if a relationship ever breaks down.

It's too easy to say "he was sick", perhaps he was, or maybe he felt that because access was being denied to him it was the only option he could take (however misguided he was).

The next time a mother decides to stop access to her children by their father they should be mindful of this case.

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j j says...
11:00am Thu 25 Sep 08

As of september 2004 if you are un married and the fathers name is on the birth certificate the fathers have equal rights. i know this for a fact as both times i registered my childrens births and but there dads name on the certificate i was told he would have equal rights.
This was bought in to try and help fathers in a realtionship break down if you have a child/childern and are not married.

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LouLou30 says...
11:33am Thu 25 Sep 08

I just wanted to say that the whole family are in my heart and thoughts. I feel that the press should leave Kerrie alone to grieve her 'princesses.' This is a private family time not a vultures nest for the media. We can express our condolances and support with cards, prayers,flowers and love for the people affected in this awful tragedy. I feel that the Echo being a local paper should show some support of this too it might send a message out to the National Papers who dont even think about peoples feelings or lives when they print accusations and untruths about people. RIP Little Angels and God Bless the Hughes Family you are all in my heart. xxx

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laura1980 says...
5:25pm Sat 27 Sep 08

i have known dave & his family for as long as i can remember, dave was the most caring, considerate, kind & loving person & i know what he did was wrong but something drove him to it, dave loved his girls & did everything he could for them which is why he couldnt be away from them and took them with him.of course i feel for kerri especcially as i have 3 girls of my own & i couldnt be without them & i understand the grief & trauma she is going through but dave was not the monster everyone now believes he is he was just a father who couldnt be without his daughters. my sincere sympathy & heart goes out to both families but especcially daves who now has to come to terms with not only losing a brother/son and their neices/granddaughter
s but also having to come to terms with the label that dave has been branded with, anyone who knew dave knows why he did this & that dave was not the monster he has been made out to be.

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:-( says...
7:03pm Mon 29 Sep 08

well whatever was going thru daves mind hasn't come true has it! you're tryin to say he couldn't live without his baby girls and took them with him - he is rotting in hell where he belongs, and ellie and belle are in heaven - the angels they are! i have known the family for a few yrs nd dave was never the bloke ur tryin to make out!

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Norahbatty says...
1:29pm Fri 10 Oct 08

jean + mathew wrote:
lynn u said in wednesdays paper 2 ask urself y he did wot he did. I did ask myself and i keep cumin bk 2 the same thing he was sick and u must be just as sick as him 2 be condoning wot he did. I read in the sun and in there it says that u said he felt that he had no opition but 2 kill the tots how would u no that unless u had spoke prior 2 him killin them. And how can u sit there and say that kerrie is not a good mother when those kid where her life she thought about them more then ur son ever could of. Was it not anothe that he took everything from kerrie and the girls when he left the house he had 2 take the girls from kerries. They where only babies and had there hole live ahead of them and i hope every1 can c wot ur really doing when u say bad things about kerrie coz all ur trying 2 do is get the blame of ur sick twisted son but i,ll give u something ask ur self was brought up by u or draged up.
you idiots, if those kids were her life then why did she let her so called suicidal sick ex partner take them and then go out clubbing?

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