Father 'killed his six-month-old son and then hanged himself' | UK news | The Guardian

Father 'killed his six-month-old son and then hanged himself'

Taxi driver found dead at his mother's house in Preston, Lancashire, along with baby son who later died in hospital

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• The Guardian, Thursday 15 September 2011
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A father is thought to have killed his six-month-old son before hanging himself. Paul McBride, 39, was found dead at his mother's house in Preston, Lancashire, on Wednesday.

His son, who has not been named, was found in a "very poorly" condition and taken to hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Officers and family had been looking for the taxi driver after concerns were raised about his welfare. His sister found his body after arriving at the house in the suburb of Ribbleton, shortly after 6pm. Their mother, Denise Betts, is thought to be on holiday in France.

Lancashire Police have launched a murder investigation but are not looking for anybody else in connection with the incident. A post-mortem examination will take place on Thursday to establish how the child died.

A police spokeswoman said detectives from the force's Major Investigation Team were leading the inquiry. "Officers were called to an incident at an address in the Ribbleton area of Preston at around 6.15pm," she said.

"On arrival, a man was found dead and a six-month-old boy was in a very poorly condition. He was taken to the Royal Preston Hospital where he sadly died."

Detective Superintendent Neil Esseen, who is leading the investigation, said it was an "incredibly tragic" case.

"It is being treated as a murder inquiry, although we are not looking for anybody else in connection with this incident, he said. "We are still in the very early stages of this investigation, but we are conducting a number of inquiries in order to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the deaths."

A neighbour said: "It's shocking, a terrible thing. I knew Paul. He was a happy, jolly type. He was always jokey and loved football.

"He had moved away, so we didn't see much of him any more. His mother is on holiday so I don't even know why he was at the house."

via guardian.co.uk