By
Katie Silver
Last updated at 12:54 PM on 9th February 2012
A father suffocated his six-month-old son in the bath and then hanged himself, an inquest heard.
Paul McBride, 39, of Lancashire, killed baby Ollie shortly after the break-up of a ‘turbulent relationship’ with the child’s mother, Michaela Swain.
The youngster’s dry body was found lying on the bed in the upstairs bedroom of Mr McBride’s home in Preston, Lancashire.
Ollie McBride died at a house in Preston, Lancashire, after his father suffocated him and then took his own life
Found nearby were two hand-written notes from the taxi driver addressed to his brother – one was written on the back of a court order obtained by Ms Swain.
Preston Coroner’s Court heard Ms Swain had recently secured a non-molestation order against her former partner, designed to prevent him threatening or harassing her.
She alerted police four minutes after he was due to return Ollie to her at 4pm on September 14 last year.
Murder and suicide: Paul McBride, pictured holding his son Ollie, killed the baby by suffocating him, a coroner heard
Turbuent relationship: Michaela Swain, Ollie’s mother, had obtained a court order in a bid to protect her and the child from the killer
Family members of Mr McBride were the first to make the grim discovery at the address in Marl Hill Crescent, Ribbleton, before police and emergency services arrived.
Mr McBride was hanging from a stairwell in soaking wet clothes.
Upstairs the bath was half-full of tepid water, with dried flowers floating on top.
Police initially thought the toddler may have been drowned but that was later ruled out.
Pathologist Brian Rogers told the hearing: ‘I think Paul got into the bath with baby Ollie and suffocated him at some stage while they were in the bath … but he did not drown the baby.’
There were no obvious signs of injury to the youngster’s body, he added.
Preston deputy coroner Simon Jones recorded verdicts that Mr McBride took his own life and that he unlawfully killed his son.
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no wonder fathers are scrutinized alot more than mothers (to all the loving fathers out there I really am sorry if it sounds like I am beating you all with the same bush, I am not!) this child was used in the most appalling way
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Just when the world couldn’t get any sadder……………….God Bless Sweet Angel!
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What a beautiful little boy, rest in peace little angel xx
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I agree with Anthony here but I still can’t understand HOW (not why) but how you could do it to any, especially your own child.
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You have no right to kill your child. Michaela,I wish you much love.
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Ollie was a little beauty.No doubt shining like a bright light somewhere.
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If there was a non-molestation order in place, obviously this man was showing some very worrying signs. Did he kill the baby because he didn’t want to think of five or ten years down the line his child calling someone else daddy? Or because he wanted to hurt the mother for breaking off the relationship? Either way, it seems he wanted some control over his ex and his child’s life, and it’s a shame he took to end the life of one, and ruin the life of the other because of his unforgivable and cowardly selfishness.
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** Why do men do this when they split up.** They don’t! Please do not generalise… A very, very small number of men *and women* become unhinged and behave in this way….
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How dare we judge other countries values when we hear about stories like these every single day. Where has morality gone in this country?
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Please don’t try and tell me that there aren’t more cracked people around. Hope he burns in hell. There is no excuse. None.
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