'Murder-suicide' inquests opened

Ellie, three, and Isobelle were smothered, a pathologist concluded.

An inquest on two girls believed to have been smothered by their father who then hanged himself, has been opened and adjourned.

David Cass, 33, and his daughters, Ellie, aged three, and Isobelle, aged 14 months, were found dead at Paynes Road Car Sales, Southampton, on Sunday.

Post-mortem examinations concluded the two girls died from smothering and their father from hanging.

Southampton coroner Keith Wiseman then adjourned the hearing indefinitely.

Mechanic Mr Cass is believed to have killed his daughters, who lived with their mother in Fair Oak, Hampshire, in a caravan parked where he worked in Freemantle. He then hanged himself.

The girls were found in the caravan and their father in a garage building next door.

Kerrie Hughes, mother of Ellie and Isobelle Cass

Mr Cass had received custody of the children at about 1400 BST on Saturday and he was supposed to have returned them the following day, the hearing was told.

Mr Wiseman said: "This is obviously a terrible event and I would like to express my very sincere condolences to all the close family who must have suffered a great deal."

On Tuesday the girls' mother, Kerrie Hughes, said in a statement released through Hampshire Police: "Everybody who knew my babies knows just how beautiful they are and that they are, and always will be, princesses, in everybody's eyes especially mine.