Father strangled his own daughter as he couldn't let her suffer with her mental health problems
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A father at his "wits end" strangled his teenage daughter after being unable to cope with her severe anxiety problems.
Richard Kray felt he could no longer let his daughter Olivia, 19 and known as Livvy suffer with her mental health problems when he killed her.
He admitted he just "blacked out" but knew what he was doing before he lay in wait and tried to do the same to his partner and Olivia's mother Damyantee "Sheila" Cowan.
But she managed to escape and fled to a police station where Kray followed her and confessed.
(Image: BBC)
The 64-year-old denied murder but admitted the manslaughter by diminished responsibility of Olivia and the attempted murder of his partner Ms Cowan.
Today Judge Philip Statman sitting at Maidstone Crown Court indicated he would pass a "hybrid" order to allow Kray to be treated in hospital under the Mental Health Act before being transferred to prison.
Prosecutor Simon Taylor told the court Kray had made efforts to help and care for his daughter.
Doctors said Olivia's anxiety was "severe, always needing her father with her whenever she wanted to go out."
Mr Taylor added: "Mr Kray and Sheila had reached the end of their tether with her."
Last March he told Olivia's carers he could no longer cope with her behaviour and the next month was signed off sick from work with exhaustion because of Olivia's high dependency on him.
For example last April Olivia called the Community Health Trust nine times and the police once because her father had left her for a break, the court heard.
Then on May 11 and 12 she made eight calls to the police and two to the trust asking where her dad was.
Mr Taylor said: "It is clear the pressure was taking its toll on Mr Kray."
(Image: BBC)
Olivia's demanding behaviour continued and Kray's "ability to cope with his daughter's illness was rapidly diminishing."
Then in July as the three returned from the Bluewater shopping complex Kray, while being badgered by his daughter, said: "Let's crash the car. Let's all be killed together."
Just three days later Kray told the mother of Olivia's friend: "You know what, I've even thought about killing the pair of them.
"Obviously, I wouldn't. I love her, she's my daughter. It's my bloody fault. I've let it go on too long."
Then three days after the comments Kray killed Olivia inside the caravan she lived in at Westlands Caravan Park in Herne Bay on July 21
After strangling Olivia he went to Ms Cowan's home and waited for her to come home before trying to strangle her too as she cried out to see her daughter.
Ms Cowan managed to kick out and escape and when Kray arrived at the police station, he said: "You can arrest me. I've killed her.
"Yeah, yeah, in Herne and I came round to kill Sheila as well, but she was too strong for me and I couldn't do it - and that's the top and bottom of it.
"I'm just at my wit's end with her and everything and my mental health problems, and disturbing the neighbours honestly.
"We've had months and months and months of mental health problems with my daughter and Sheila, and it just come to a head and I couldn't stand it any more, and I just did it.
"And I come round here as cold as you like to do it to her as well, and I couldn't."
After his arrest, he replied: "I'm guilty. I couldn't let her suffer any more, so I just, I know it sounds callous, but I couldn't think of anything else to do.
"I'm at my wit's end for months and months. I know it's no excuse.
"I just blacked out. I knew what I was doing."
He told the custody sergeant: "I want to die."
Judge Statman said Kray worked with children who had difficulties and it was not a case where Olivia failed to get treatment and he was keen for her to have therapy .
"I would not want it thought the medical services failed her in any way."
In mitigation barrister Oliver Saxby QC said: "He is someone with regret and remorse for what he has done.
"A sentence of some length is inevitable."
The judge said he would think "long and hard" over the weekend and pass sentence on Monday.