A POLICE officer desperately tried to smash a car window to stop a dad gassing his two children, a court heard.

Sergeant John Graham, of Swindon police, said he first tried to kick the window in, then used his baton to try to rescue the youngsters.

But, despite his efforts, the window held firm and it was up to eight minutes before the dad who was screaming and shouting, unlocked the doors and officers could get the children out, Sgt Graham told Bristol Crown Court at the second day of the 36-year-old father's trial.

James Patrick, for the prosecution, claims the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, tried to kill his two children after his ex-partner refused to give their eight-year relationship one last go.

The defence claims the man knew the children would come to no harm as his car had a catalytic converter.

The man sent a series of chilling text messages to the children's mother threatening to harm them, including one that said: "Sorry it's ended this way but if I can't have you and the kids then you can't have us. We come together."

He is then alleged to have bundled the youngsters in his car and driven to Lydiard Park while their mother was on a night out.

There he is accused of connecting the pipe from a vacuum cleaner to his exhaust through the car window and locking himself and the children in the Renault Megane with the engine running.

Sgt Graham, who alongside Inspector Adrian Burt, was the first to find the car on September 4 last year, said the pair had had to act fast.

"I immediately got out of the police car and ran around to the passenger side of the vehicle," he said.

"The only illumination was the police vehicle's headlights.

"That was enough to see that the windows were covered in condensation.

"The window the pipe was coming into had been closed, holding it in place.

"I grabbed the pipe and ripped it out. I tried both doors on the nearside.

"I was shouting at the people inside the car.

"Initially there was no response. Then someone started screaming.

"It was the dad. He was screaming and shouting in a blind panic.

"I tried to kick the front passenger window to make it smash but it didn't.

"I then drew my ASP (baton) and tried to smash the window. It just bounced off."

As Insp Burt scrabbled around in the dark for a stone to break the window, Sgt Graham continued asking the man to open up.

Insp Burt said it was six to eight minutes before this happened.

The children, a boy and a girl, were taken to the Great Western Hospital but had suffered no injuries.

The defendant denies two charges of attempted murder and four counts of making a threat to kill.

  • The trial continues

Moment that mum's fears became real

A 22-year-old who was enjoying a girls' night out with the children's mother has spoken of the moment they started taking his threats seriously.

The young woman, who called the police as the mother panicked, said they had desperately tried to get hold of the father to find out what was going on.

Giving evidence yesterday, she was asked how the mother responded to threatening text messages.

She said: "She kept trying to phone him and she was getting quite hysterical.

"We were trying to get a taxi and she was ringing and ringing and ringing.

"She was close to tears. She was worrying what was going on at home. She just wanted to get home really."

The friend said they returned to the West Swindon home to find the children and their father missing, along with the pipe to the vacuum cleaner, which he said he would use to gas them.

There was also a note saying "Sorry, if I can't have the kids then you ain't xxx. Have a good life xx."

It was then they thought he would kill the two youngsters.

She said: "We saw in the kitchen that the pipe had been taken off the Hoover. She was in a complete and utter state then.

"Before we thought he might have just taken them. Then we realised he might have gone through with what was in the texts."