A FATHER who drove his two children into a river killing his five-year-old daughter has been found guilty of murder.
Christopher Grady plunged the car with his kids inside into the River Avon in Evesham, Worcestershire.
His daughter Gabrielle was pulled from the river two hours later and died in hospital.
Grady was also found guilty at Birmingham Crown Court of attempting to murder his six-year-old son Ryan.
The trial heard Grady had warned his children's mother Kim Smith she had ten seconds to say goodbye to them before he drove into the river on February 11 last year.
Ryan and Gabrielle screamed as their 42-year-old father circled a field by the river before plunging into the freezing water, according to a dog walker and a cafe worker.
Nicholas Langstone, who saw the incident unfold from a nearby cafe, said Grady put his "foot to the floor" and "just went faster and faster, straight down the edge of the riverbank into the river".
He said: "The first thing I knew, I could hear the kids screaming in the car.
"There was somebody banging on the back window, I think it was a child... they were saying 'Help me, help me'."
Philippa Henley, who was walking her dog on the opposite side of the river, said she waved her arms and shouted in vain "Don't do it" to Grady.
In a statement read to the court, the retired social worker said: "I could hear them (Ryan and Gabrielle) banging on the glass while they were going round the field and I could hear the fear in their voices.
"I was waving my arms and saying 'Don't do it'. It was like a horror movie."
The court heard Grady and Ryan rose to the surface of the water a short time after the car began to sink, but Gabrielle, known as Gabby to family and friends, was pulled through the sunroof by specialist divers around two hours later.
She was pronounced dead in hospital on February 14, three days after the incident.
Julie Woodgate, a witness who was running along the riverbank, said she saw Grady surface and scream for help from the water.
She said: "I just heard him shouting. Angry panicky shouting.
"All I heard him saying was swearing, and saying 'Save me, save my kids'."
Ryan was rescued by Inspector Sean Kent, who dived into the river to pull him to safety. Grady was hauled from the water by police and fire officers at the scene.
Mr Kent told the trial he became "frustrated and angry" as he watched Ryan "flailing around" in the water.
He said: "The small child was in very great distress, he was flailing around in an uncoordinated way and I formed the opinion that he was drowning."
He said he lost sight of the six-year-old when the child went under the water and feared he might not re-emerge if it happened again, adding: "I remember feeling frustrated and angry at this point.
"I therefore decided that the only thing to do was to jump into the water and take hold of the child myself."
The policeman said Ryan was "face-down in the water and hardly breathing" when he reached him, about a third of the way across the river.
He added: "I was able to push him near to the river bank where he was able to be taken hold of by Sergeant Stayte."
Sergeant Phillip Stayte, who also went into the river, said Ryan's body appeared "completely lifeless" when he first took hold of him.
He said: "His eyes were closed, his mouth was closed, there was no movement. There was no indication of any life at all."
The court heard it was a "particularly cold" and frosty morning, and the temperature of the river water was 4C.
Sgt Stayte said: "The water was so cold it made your body stiffen completely."
There was no reaction from the public gallery when the verdicts, both by a majority of 11 to one, were delivered.
Judge Mr Justice Lindblom had earlier warned against any outbursts.
The judge said he would sentence Grady on Tuesday morning.
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Well......what the heck did the one vote for?
?
What do you think his sentence should be??
I also don't know what he could face in England.........