DURING an extensive and thorough investigation the police had uncovered nothing to explain why 26-year-old Christopher Adams, manager of a pub at St Cleer, had battered to death with a cricket bat his young fiancee and their 18-month-old daughter, a court heard this week. Adams was described by his counsel, Geoffrey Mercer QC, as a thoroughly decent, mild- mannered, cheerful and hard-working young man who was devoted to 19-year-old Claire Ford and doted on his daughter Charlotte. But in an outburst of rage he killed them while staying at the home of his parents, Trewinnick Cottage, St Ervan, near Rumford on April 26 last. Adams had pleaded guilty to two charges of murder at an earlier hearing. Judge Graham Cottle imposed a mandatory life sentence at Truro Crown Court on Monday and ordered that he serves a minimum of 20 years in jail before being considered for parole. Claire Ford had suffered massive head injuries and Charlotte, after being struck by the bat, had had a plastic bag tied and taped over her head. Adams, who fled in his mother's car, was arrested in Hampshire a week later. A man of previous good character, Adams sat with his head bowed throughout the hearing and did not react to the sentence he must serve. Prosecutor Martin Meeke QC told the court that Adams met his fiancee when she was 16. About six months later Claire realised she was pregnant and in February of last year they became engaged. Adams was pleased by news of the pregnancy and 'over the moon' when his daughter was born.

Normal self In April Adams, Claire and Charlotte were living above the Market Inn pub in St Cleer. It was their habit to spend Mondays and Tuesdays, his days off, at Trewinnick Cottage. The week before he had had his annual leave and on the Monday visited Claire's sister and partner. There was no acrimony and Adams was relaxed and his normal self. They spent the night of April 25-26 at Trewinnick Cottage, and at about 7am Michael Adams heard a noise, like moaning. When he saw his son the defendant said that Claire had woken with a nightmare. At 11.20am Adams made a 999 call from the National Trust car park at Park Head. He said: 'There has been a murder, she has been beaten around the head' and gave the Trewinnick Cottage address in detail, including the post code. Asked to explain what had happened he said: 'I don't know, I haven't got a clue. I just found her in the bedroom, blood everywhere. She is my girlfriend, my fiancee' and with that he rang off. Police officers and an ambulance were despatched. 'By one of those dreadful turns of fate the ambulance was driven by Michael Ford, a paramedic and father of Claire,' said Mr Meeke. 'He and his crewmate knew they were responding to a possible murder and en route he reassured her about their roles. 'It was only as they parked outside the cottage he realised the implications and the police officers had to prevent him when he tried to enter the house.' After being told that Claire had a club foot the officers were able to confirm her identity. They were trembling and in a state of shock. Paramedic Claire Beatty confirmed that mother and baby were dead and had to break the news to Mr Ford and comfort him as best she could. After making the 999 call Adams spent four days in the Bristol area and on May 5 a police officer arrested him at Ringwood, Hampshire. He said: 'I don't know what happened mate, I just lost it.' Interviewed, Adams said he had not had a lot of sleep on the 25th as Charlie would not settle. He woke Claire and fed the baby. They had had fallings-out about it before and when Claire got up he pushed her back down – he did not know why his hand came upon the cricket bat and he swung it around and hit her. 'I also caught Charlie, I didn't mean to do this, the next thing I really remember is being in the car....' Adams could not recall how many times he had hit Claire, but claimed he had hit Charlie accidentally. He could not remember putting the bag over the baby's head and sellotaping it around her neck. In a prolonged attack Claire had suffered three substantial blows to the top of the head, and further blows to her shoulders and at least four to her fore arms and hands which were defence injuries. The massive head injuries were the cause of her death. Charlotte died from an extensively fractured skull and suffocation. Mr Mercer said that a psychiatrist's report and statements from members of both families presented a picture of Adams being a thoroughly decent, hard working young man, cheerful and mild mannered, who doted on his daughter and played a very active role in her daily care. There was no hint of any history of alcohol or drug problems. 'The violence was entirely out of character,' he declared. 'There was no past history of violence in their relationship and no warning signs to the family and others in the previous days, weeks or months. The perception of people who knew them were that they were a happy, loving family with no significant problems.' Adams, he revealed, had told the psychiatrist that he and Claire rarely argued. There were only two sources of tension in the family, the long hours he was working and his feeling that he was doing more than his fair share towards the caring of Charlie. 'There must have been a substantial build-up of tension over a period of time.' He had been up at night as usual when Charlotte was unsettled. He took her downstairs and fed her at about 6.30am. When he woke Claire she pushed him away and he lost control 'He did not deliberately strike her and he has no recollection of what he did.' Mr Mercer submitted that Adams was entitled to the fullest credit possible for his plea of guilty and it was to his very great credit that he had not invited a jury to find there was provocation. 'He does not seek to place any blame elsewhere whatsoever,' he declared. Adams did not plead any form of diminished responsibility but temporarily, at the very least, his mind must have been very disturbed at the time. His remorse had been obvious and his single act of unpremeditated violence was entirely out of character, resulting in the deaths of the two people he loved most. In sentencing Adams, Judge Cottle pointed out that it was not suggested his responsibility for these dreadful crimes was in any way diminished or impaired and in law he was entirely responsible for his actions. 'You murdered your partner and your child in an outburst of violent rage. You beat them to death with repeated blows struck with a cricket bat. Quite apart from the fatal blows to the head there was evidence of extensive general bruising and of defensive injuries to her arms and hands. Suffocation 'It was a frenzied attack during which you struck her repeatedly. You then struck your defenceless and helpless child.The head injuries would have led to her death, although not necessarily immediately, and you then knotted and taped a plastic bag around her head. There could have been only one purpose in your mind, namely suffocation. 'You committed these murders in the home of your parents, yet when your father saw you that morning your behaviour was entirely normal. 'Later you took your mother's car and left the area. You made a 999 call in which you pretended you had discovered the bodies of your partner and child. Notwithstanding that attempt to lay a false trail the police were looking only for you.' Judge Cottle said that Adams had been described as a devoted partner and doting father and nothing had emerged which began to explain why he had committed such dreadful crimes. Set against that, there were aggravating features regarding Charlotte's death. Not only was she a helpless and defenceless victim whose head he had struck with the cricket bat, he had then proceeded to ensure her death by suffocating her. 'The devastation you have brought to the lives of those who loved and cherished Claire and Charlotte, and your own family, is quite incalculable,' he declared.