Tragic tot's buggy rolled into sea as dad kissed mistress

THE dad whose two-year-old girl died when her buggy plunged into the sea has told cops he let go of the handles to kiss his secret mistress.

Andrew Hopper admitted taking the woman on a seaside day out with Rebecca, two, and her eight-month-old brother Lewis.

While the pair embraced, a gust of wind rolled their double buggy over a 15ft drop. It hit the swirling waters with the strapped-in mites face-down.

Andrew and the woman, a colleague from work, leapt in to unclip them — but eventually all four had to be pulled out by passers-by.

Andrew’s wife Sarah had been unaware of the affair, and believed the woman to be only a family friend. Last night she was trying to come to terms with the revelation.

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A source said: “Andrew and his mistress are utterly, utterly devastated by what has happened.
Honest

“They have been completely honest and open with the police about why they were together and why the buggy rolled away.

“No one would wish such an appalling thing on anyone, and they are going to have to live with what happened for the rest of their lives.”

Andrew, 38, had to be treated in hospital for shock but was yesterday with 35-year-old Sarah at Lewis’s bedside. The baby was in a stable condition and is expected to recover.

It is understood police are seeing if there are grounds for neglect charges — and whether any prosecution would be in the public interest.

The tragedy unfolded on Sunday afternoon as Andrew, a software engineer at BAe Systems, walked with the woman at Warren Apron sea defence wall near Folkestone, Kent.

Blonde Rebecca was declared dead two hours later after being airlifted to a specialist unit at The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, East London.

Andrew and Sarah, who also have a ten-year-old son and live in Chatham, Kent, issued a statement praising rescuers and medical staff.

They said Rebecca — who would have been three next Wednesday — was a “sweet, gorgeous little girl”.

They added: “She was a special little girl with a special place in all our hearts.

“She will be sorely missed by everyone who knew her. We love her so much and she will be in our hearts forever.”

Family friends described Rebecca as a beautiful, happy child. Neighbour Angela Whitelaw said: “They are such a lovely family and have three beautiful children.

“I last spoke to little Rebecca just before Christmas and she was so excited.

“We always have a chat with Andrew and Sarah and their eldest child is so polite. I cannot believe this has happened to them. They are such a lovely family.”

Andrew’s father Barry, from Margate, said: “I went over to see him in hospital. It was just a tragic accident.

“The buggy just ran away from them on a sloping bit of the pathway, and that was it. It just slipped away from them.”



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