Charged with murder and a suicide risk.. yet free on bail; HE FLIPPED OVER TRIAL.

Byline: By MARTIN FRICKER and TOM PETTIFOR

CRAZED cop Garry Weddell planned to hang himself in shame after being accused of strangling his cheating wife Sandra.

His desperate plot was foiled when custody officers found a length of flex wrapped round his ankle.

But incredibly, despite fears of him cheating justice, the 45-year-old Met inspector was freed from custody and granted pounds 200,000 bail.

On Saturday those fears came horrifically true when vengeful Weddell shot dead mum-in-law Traute Maxfield, 70, after learning she was to give evidence against him.

Then he drove to a shooting club and turned the gun on himself.

His suicide left his three children Kate, 13, Tom, 11, and Lucy, eight, orphaned. Last night relatives were still in shock.

Patsy Mowbray, mum-in-law of Sandra's brother, said: "They've not only lost their mum but their grandmother as well. They loved her dearly.

"They're heartbroken. Anyone who could do this is just evil."

Local Tory MP Mike Penning is to ask Attorney General Baroness Scotland why Weddell was granted bail on such a serious charge. He told the BBC last night: "Did police or the family object? The courts should protect, not put people at risk."

Weddell's defence was told last week that widowed Mrs Maxfield was due to testify against him at his trial in May.

The disclosure tipped the police inspector over the edge of reason.

It is thought he left his barrister brother Geoffrey's home in Woking, Surrey - where he lived - on Friday.

He then waited 24 hours before bursting into Mrs Maxfield's pounds 1million house in the Hertfordshire hamlet of Gustard Wood and blasting her with an illegally-owned shotgun.

After the attack Weddell drove 10 miles in his Renault Laguna to Broomhills Shooting Club in Markyate.

Ex-soldier Weddell set off up a trail through woodland before emerging into fields at a spot known as The Rook.

At a wooden shelter he shot himself in the head. His body was found at 11am.

Officers went to Mrs Maxfield's home as she was listed as next of kin.

When they got no answer, a firearms team was called in. They entered and discovered the body of the devout churchgoer in her living room.

Danish-born Mrs Maxfield had lived alone at the property since the death of her husband William, 92, a year ago.

Friend Suzanne Locks, 72, said: "Poor Traute, what a dreadful end. She devoted the last years of her life to looking after her husband."

Weddell and nurse Sandra, 44, lived in a pounds 450,000 home at Dunstable, Beds. A former neighbour said: "They seemed a perfect family."

But in December 2006 Weddell found Sandra had been having an affair.

When he confronted her, she said she wanted to end their 23-year marriage.

Four weeks later, Sandra went missing. She was found dead in her garage with a cable tie round her neck and an apparent suicide note by her body. But there were bruises on the corpse. In June Weddell, a cop for 25 years, was accused of her murder.

Prosecutors claimed that the Police Federation representative killed Sandra because he feared losing his home, his children and half his pension.

The officer, who had been allowed weekly supervised visits to his children at their uncle's home, was originally remanded in custody by Luton court.

A later application for bail was refused when police discovered the flex as Weddell was transferred to court.

He was finally bailed at Ipswich crown court in September after his "soul mate" brother put up pounds 200,000 surety. Yesterday Geoffrey refused to comment.

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CAPTION(S):

MURDER JAN 07 Family home where Sandra was found in garage; MURDER SATURDAY MORNING Mum-in-law blasted to death in country cottage; SUICIDE SATURDAY 11AM Police search scene of Weddell's shotgun death; BRUTE: Killer cop Weddell; HELP: Brother Geoffrey