Dad 'devastated' by children's deaths

Jan 29 2010 By Tammy Hughes

Elsie, 18-months, and Harry, three, were found in the boot of their mother's car

The grieving father of the two toddlers found dead in the boot of their mother's car on Wednesday is from Chertsey.

Paul Donnison, 46, is said to be devastated by the tragic loss of his children, Elsie, 18-months, and Harry, three, and is being comforted by family members.

His estranged wife Fiona Donnison, 43, from Lightwater drove into a police station in Heatherfield East Sussex on Wednesday to report an 'incident' and the children's bodies were later found in the boot of her Nissan.

Mrs Donnison has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in a psychiatric hospital. The pair split last September and Mrs Donnison had recently lost her job.

Post mortems have been carried out at Kings College Hospital in London yesterday and initial results show signs of asphyxiation. However, toxicology results are awaited before cause of death can be confirmed and it is likely to be several days before these are available.

Police have confirmed that the children had been dead for less than a day when their bodies were discovered.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Johns from Sussex Police's Major Crime Branch, who is leading the enquiry, said: "I should like to express our sympathy to the family and friends of young Elise and Harry and indeed to all of the community in Heathfield who have found themselves at the centre of this sad event.

"While we may have a suspect in custody on suspicion of the murder of these two young people, I would stress that this will not affect the thoroughness of our investigation or our determination to discover the full facts behind this tragic incident.

"This process is a painstaking one and I would ask for patience while we carry it out. As yet we have not interviewed the woman who is under arrest. She is currently in hospital and we will not be able to clarify significant lines of enquiry until we have formally spoken to her."