Court hears he drank antifreeze and smashed his car into former partner’s home

A spurned lover accused of smashing his car into his ex-girlfriend’s lounge in a failed murder mission said he wanted her to see his suicide.

Edmund Bruton, 42, of Harrow Road, Wembley, planned to ‘take out as many people as possible’ after he drank a litre of anti-freeze and launched the 80mph attack on Tara Lavery while she was at home with four children, it is claimed.

Inner London Crown heard the impact injured at least two youngsters in the house in Berkshire in February 26 this year.

Bruton said he became suicidal after he was hit by a series of personal tragedies.

He told the court he drank the toxic liquid and ploughed his car into the house after he failed to get through to Ms Lavery on the phone.

He said: “I know anti-freeze can make you more suicidal.

“I placed a garden fork between the steering wheel and my neck. Something just said to go and drive.

“I just had these voices saying: ‘You’re going to die or you’re going to kill yourself.”

Bruton said he could not remember sending texts to Ms Lavery from the wreck, one of which said: “Will be waiting for you in hell.

He said: “I love Tara to bits.

“I’m absolutely gutted and distraught that such a lot of pain has come to her and her family.”

Bruton told the court he owns a hairdressing salon in Wembley which is in financial trouble.

He met Ms Lavery on an online dating website last summer but the relationship deteriorated at the beginning of this year.

Bruton denies attempted murder of one or more of the occupants, criminal damage with intent to endanger life in the same terms, criminal damage reckless as to whether life is endangered and dangerous driving.