Distraught dad shares picture of tragic twins
THE grief-stricken father of toddlers allegedly murdered by their mother has posted a touching photograph of the twins.
Distraught Steven Ford put the picture of his children on Twitter yesterday with the message: “I want the world to see my beautiful babies. Jake and Chloe forever. xxx.”
He also thanked people for their support, saying: “Every message helps.”
Mr Ford released the image of his 23-months-old son and daughter as a judge remanded their mother Samantha Ford in custody, ahead of a hearing on January 31.
The 37-year-old was charged with two counts of murder after her son and daughter were found dead at their home in Margate, Kent, in the early hours of December 27.
She had been expected to appear via prison video link during a brief preliminary hearing at Maidstone Crown Court yesterday.
But Ronnie Manek, defending, told Judge David GriffithJones, QC, that Ford was in the custody of the health care team at Bronzefield women’s prison in Surrey.
Beautiful
A psychiatric report is still being drawn up and Mr Manek asked for the hearing to be adjourned until the end of next month.
But Judge Griffith-Jones said the next hearing would go ahead on January 31.
Acknowledging the case was in its “very early days”, he added: “I recognise it may be only limited progress that can be made on that occasion.”
The bodies of Jake and Chloe were found at the house in Margate after Ford had been involved in a collision with a lorry at about 2.50am on December 27.
She was driving her Ford Galaxy on the London-bound carriageway of the A299 Thanet Way near Herne Bay in Kent.
The mother was treated for a head injury and later discharged.
Officers went to her rented house and found the toddlers at 3.35am that morning. It is believed she had moved into the property a few weeks earlier.
Golf professional Mr Ford first posted a picture of Jake and Chloe on Saturday.
It shows the toddlers hugging each other with the caption: “Daddy’s twins xx. My beautiful babies. I love you.”
In another message he thanked people for their support. “I keep reading all the kind words of support from everyone,” he said. “People don’t even know me but they care. Every message helps, even if it’s just for a moment.”
He posted another picture of the children on Twitter – a recent one of them cuddling – shortly before Ford appeared at Canterbury Magistrates Court on Saturday. She wept during the short hearing, before being remanded in custody.