Dad made "video farewell" of his children before strangling them (Manchester, England, United Kingdom)

Dad PETROS WILLIAMS in on trial for the strangulation murders of his children. The mother had moved out the week before, and the children were staying with the father at the time of their deaths. Seems this sick creep made a "farewell video" of the two children, ages 2 and 4, saying goodbye to their mother. Not surprisingly, the mother says the father had a history of domestic violence.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/8580400.stm

Page last updated at 19:50 GMT, Monday, 22 March 2010

Dead children in 'video farewell'

A father made a "farewell video" of his two children before strangling them after the breakdown of his marriage, a court has heard.

Petros Williams urged four-year-old Yolanda Molemohi and Theo, two, to say goodbye to their mother in the film, played to Manchester Crown Court.

Mr Williams' wife Morongoe Molemohi, 30, found the bodies of her children at his flat in Whalley Range last October.

The 37-year-old denies two counts of murder.

The tape was among handwritten notes found at his flat.

The court heard it was labelled "Daddy, Yolly, Theo. Byee The End" with a note attached which read: "Play the video, made for your memories, thank you, Petros."

Mr Williams was said to be jealous that his wife had started to meet other men through internet dating websites.

Andrew Thomas QC, prosecuting, said the defendant even chose internet connection cables from the family computer to kill his children as a "symbolic act of punishment" to his wife.

He said: "The prosecution say it was a spiteful, selfish reaction to the breakdown of his marriage. It was a deliberate act and the prosecution say this was murder."

'Drastic action'

The video shows the children sitting in the living room with Mr Williams initially behind the camera before he joined them on the sofa and told them: "Say, 'bye Mummy'."

Mr Thomas said: "It is hard to say why the defendant made the video at the time and whether he had decided to take the drastic action he took two days later.

"The prosecution say that it was a sort of farewell video from the defendant and his children to the mother."

Other notes found in the flat said: "Good things come to an end, bye Mo. Petros", "I love you Theo and Yolanda. You were great company, meet you in heaven. Love Daddy Petros" and "Sorry My Lovely Yolly and Theo. Sorry Mummy decided to leave us for a new boyfriend."

The couple moved to the UK in 2002 and had lived in Whalley Road since 2004 but their marriage suffered difficulties and both had affairs, the jury was told.

Miss Molemohi also claimed she had been the victim of domestic violence.

She had moved out of the family home a week before the killings when Mr Williams told her he was no longer prepared to see her set up dates online while they lived together.

The children stayed with their father while Miss Molemohi travelled to get them ready for school and to put them to bed.

'Very alone'

On the morning of 15 October, Miss Molemohi went to the flat and found the children dead. Mr Williams was arrested, the court heard.

"I went to pick them up from under the duvet. I thought they were sleeping," Miss Molemohi said.

Under cross-examination from Jeffrey Samuels QC, Miss Molemohi admitted she had no family in the UK and was isolated and felt "very alone".

Mr Samuels asked her: "Did you in fact kill them, Miss Molemohi?"

She replied: "I cannot believe you are even suggesting that."

"I did not kill my children, I would die for them."

The case continues.