Father awaits sentencing for killing daughter, 5, by driving into a river

A father who murdered his five-year-old daughter by driving his car into a freezing river as she sat on the front passenger seat will be sentenced today.

Christopher Grady, 43, was convicted of Gabrielle Grady's murder at Birmingham Crown Court last Friday.

Jurors also found him guilty of attempting to murder his then six-year-old son Ryan, who was on the back seat of the silver Vauxhall Vectra when it began to sink.

Grady plunged the car into the River Avon in Evesham, Worcestershire, on the morning of February 11 last year.

He and Ryan were pulled from the water by police and firefighters at the scene but Gabrielle - know as Gabby to family and friends - was trapped underwater for two hours. She was pronounced dead in hospital three days later.

During a three-week trial, jurors heard Grady had warned the children's mother Kim Smith she had 10 seconds to say goodbye to them before he drove into the water at Hampton Ferry.

Miss Smith, 37, said he arrived at her house in Abbot's Walk, Evesham, at around 9.15am telling her to say goodbye before driving away shouting the word "river". She said his face was "contorted" and "vile" with anger.

A jury of seven women and five men took five hours to find Grady guilty of both counts. He had denied the charges, telling the court it was "an accident".

Speaking after Grady's conviction, Miss Smith said: "Although Christopher Grady is facing a deserved jail term, this does not take away the fact that myself and my family were robbed of our Gabby just over one year ago and that will stay.

"We are still living with the loss and devastation caused by his actions on that day."

She added: "Nothing is going to bring back my Gabby but at least I know that justice is going to be done, and it has been done."

Grady, of no fixed address, will be sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court by Mr Justice Lindblom.