"Doting" dad in custody for attempted murder of two children; wanted "better access" (Birmingham, England, United Kingdom)

Dad CHRISTOPHER GRADY in custody for the attempted murder of his two children. Charges will probably be upgraded now that the 5-year-old daughter has died. The children were in a car that plunged into a river.

Grady sounds like another one of these manipulative sociopaths who manages to convince clueless people that he was a "doting" daddy and all that, and just wanted "better access" to the children he had with his ex-wife.

Oh yea. Sure. 'Cause this is what "doting" daddies always do. A "doting" father drives his car with his screaming kids into a freezing river. After the police rescue the father and the son, the "doting" daddy then sits around on his arse and waits over 90 minutes for a police diving team to arrive and rescue his daughter, who is still trapped in the vehicle.

That's not a "doting daddy" in my book.

Seems to me that this bloke wanted "better access" so he could kill them and get revenge against his ex-wife for their latest "row." It's pretty clear to me, mate.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5jmkLAKRU_9pbFxYBFqU0erEniYsg

Girl in river plunge dies
(UKPA) – 2 hours ago

A five-year-old girl who was rescued from a car that plunged into the River Avon has died, police said.

Gabrielle Grady and her brother Ryan, six, were rescued on Thursday after the vehicle, a silver Vauxhall Vectra estate, entered the water from a field at Boat Lane in Evesham, Worcestershire.
Their father, Christopher Grady, was remanded in custody at Worcester Magistrates' Court, charged with the attempted murder of his children.

Grady, 41, of no fixed abode, is due to appear at Worcester Crown Court on Thursday.

Police said Gabrielle's death meant the incident was now being treated as a murder investigation.

The child had been in a critical condition since she and her brother were rescued and airlifted to Birmingham Children's Hospital.

Ryan was also critically ill when first admitted to hospital but is now said to be "recovering quite well."

West Midlands Ambulance Service said the driver and Ryan were already out of the submerged car when paramedics arrived, but Gabrielle was trapped for almost two hours before she was pulled free by police divers.

A West Mercia Police spokesman said: "Gabrielle passed away peacefully at around 1.30pm today, surrounded by her family."

Detective Superintendent Steve Cullen, who is leading the investigation, said: "We are very sad to hear this terrible news and all our thoughts are with Gabby's family at this difficult time."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/7224051/Police-unable-to-save-girl-from-icy-river-because-of-health-and-safety.html

Police unable to save girl from icy river because of health and safety

A girl fighting for her life after a car she was travelling in plunged into an ice-cold river was not rescued for almost two hours because health and safety rules prevented police from entering the water.

By Richard Savill and Andy Bloxham
Published: 7:30AM GMT 13 Feb 2010

The five-year-old girl, her-six year-old brother and their father Chris Grady were in the car when it plunged into the river Avon in Evesham, Worcestershire, on Thursday morning.

Mr Grady and his son Ryan, managed to escape from the submerged car. They were helped clear by police officers on the riverbank.

However, Mr Grady’s daughter, Gabrielle, was trapped inside the vehicle for 97 minutes before the closest police dive team, based in the next county, could arrive. The divers then took a further 12 minutes to rescue her.

The officers already on the scene were prevented from diving in earlier to rescue her by police safety regulations.

The little girl remained in a critical state in hospital yesterday while her brother yesterday began to make a recovery.

He was well enough to sit up in bed and talk to family at his bedside.

West Mercia police admitted last night that safety regulations barred normal police officers from jumping into rivers to try to save people.

A police spokesman said the closest available police dive team was Avon and Somerset constabulary.

"Their team arrived within 97 minutes of the original request being made.

"Once they had arrived it took only a further 12 minutes to rescue the child from the submerged vehicle.

"At the time of the original request Avon and Somerset Dive Team were involved in an underwater search for a missing person in Gloucestershire.

"Police officers are not trained or equipped to enter rivers in order to rescue people.

"They are trained and equipped to make rescues from riverbanks.

"The risk involved in untrained and ill-equipped officers entering the water in these circumstances are generally too high to contemplate.

"The would-be rescuers can easily become casualties themselves."

The spokesman noted the dangerous conditions of the river with "strong undercurrents and low water temperatures" which induces rapid hypothermia.

The children were in a critical condition when they were rescued from the Avon in Evesham, Worcs, on Thursday and airlifted to Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

The children’s father was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, and remained in custody last night.

Mr Grady, 41, was at the wheel of his silver Vauxhall Vectra, carrying his children, when it plunged into the Avon.

He went to the waterway in Evesham, Worcs, on Friday following a row with his former partner, the children’s mother.

Witnesses said the car "belted down" a narrow road and the children’s screams could be heard when the vehicle entered the water. The car was winched from the Avon yesterday (Fri) with the help of police divers. The girl’s pink bag was in the boot, and the boy’s Bart Simpson bag was on the back seat, along with a white blanket.

Residents in Evesham who knew Mr Grady, a welder, said he is a "doting" father, who takes his children for Sunday meals at a local carvery.

He had moved out of his bedsit at the back of a local salon Aria Hair last week, and is believed to have been staying with friends.

Rob Lewis, 53, who works next to Mr Grady’s workshop in Evesham, said the father had been trying to get better access to his children.

"He loved those kids," said Mr Lewis.

Mr Grady has three other children, aged between 16 and 20, by his former wife.

A member of staff at Aria Hair said: "He absolutely doted on his children. Whenever they were here all you could hear was laughter coming out of there. I know they used to play the board game Frustration, because we could hear it."

The family of the children’s mother was too upset to comment yesterday.