A FATHER who took his baby daughter hostage after a row with her mother hanged himself while police tried to coax him out of the house.

Richard Henderson locked himself and the nine-month-old girl in the upstairs bedroom of estranged girlfriend Jackie Thomas's house in Lindfield, near Haywards Heath.

After two hours trying to persuade him out, police broke in to find Mr Henderson unconscious. He was later pronounced dead.

Sussex Police have now called in the Police Complaints Authority to investigate the matter.

Mr Henderson, 28, had been drinking on Friday night.

After the pub closed he went to Ms Thomas's home in Eastern Road and had a furious row with her, snatching their baby daughter and running away.

The distraught mother called police and a search was launched.

Shortly afterwards, Mr Henderson returned to the house and told officers waiting outside: "If you don't let me in I'll kill the baby."

They stood aside and Mr Henderson ran upstairs with her, locking the bedroom door behind him.

Negotiators tried in vain for two hours to persuade him to come out.

Then, amid growing fears for the baby's safety, officers broke into the room to find Mr Henderson unconscious.

Police and paramedics could not resuscitate him.

He was taken by ambulance to the Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath, and pronounced dead at 3am on Saturday.

The baby was returned to Ms Thomas unharmed.

Apost-mortem examination found there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Henderson, of Pavilion Close, Hassocks. He died as a result of hanging.

Det Insp Peter West, heading the investigation, said: "It's a terrible tragedy for everyone. It seems it was totally out of character for Mr Henderson to do something like this.

"We don't know what triggered his actions. My sympathies go out to everyone involved."

Ms Thomas was last night being comforted by friends and relations. She was said to be too upset to talk but relieved to have her baby back safe and well.

Under new regulations the police are duty-bound to report themselves to the Police Complaints Authority if a person dies in custody.

Mr Henderson was technically in custody at the time because the house was surrounded by officers.

Neighbours in leafy Eastern Road were shocked by what had happened.

One woman said: "They seemed like nice, quiet people.

"Jackie only moved in recently. My sympathies go out to her.

"Only a few days ago I saw them all playing in the park. It's so odd to think he's dead now."

Another said: "It's normally quiet around here. The noise and kerfuffle woke a lot of us up."

Police officers were also upset.

Det Insp West said: "The officers are trained for this sort of thing, but no training can really prepare you for it.

"It's very unpleasant. But at no stage did Mr Henderson harm or try to harm the baby."

An inquest will be opened into Mr Henderson's death. The Police Complaints Authority has begun its investigation.

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