Male Finch Attacking Female with Babies

Question
Hi Megan,
I need some advice.  I bought two finches a few months ago.  Recently they laid eggs, which have hatched and they have baby birds that are about 2 1/2 weeks old.  Before the eggs were laid the male finch showed a little bit of aggression, sometimes chasing the female and tiring her out a lot.  However, the behavior always seemed to stop and they would get along again.  

Suddenly today when I came home (I was gone for one night) the male was chasing the female relentlessly.  He would not leave her alone, was pecking at her beak and eye, and she had a little bit of blood around the bottom of her beak and her eye looked like it was injured.  I have never seen him be so relentless.  She was exhausted, puffed up, and trying to sleep, but he kept chasing her.  She eventually went into the nest with the babies, trying to hide from him, but he went in after her.  In the nest he pecked at her in there on top of the babies, and then literally almost pulled her out of the nest.  I didn't know what to do and didn't want the babies to be hurt, or the female to be more injured, so I finally took the male out and put him in a separate cage.  My questions are:

1. Did I do the right thing?  Should I have left him in the cage and let them figure it out?  

2. Should I put him back in the cage and see if he'll leave her alone now?  He's all alone in his cage (though I did put it close to the other cage so they can talk to each other, but he looks lonely and keeps trying to get back to the other cage) and I don't want to buy more finches to keep him company.  

3. Why would he suddenly begin attacking her?  I think he wants to mate again, but she is busy taking care of the babies.  

4. Do you think there is any hope of the male being nice to the female again?  

5. If not, I think I will consider keeping either the dad with whatever babies are males, or the mom with whatever baby females there are.  Which sex gets along better with each other?  Males or females?  Is one sex more likely to fight with each other?

Sorry for so many questions.  Thanks so much for any advice you can offer!!

Answer
Don't worry, you did the right thing taking him out. Things would have only gotten worse if you had left it the way it was.
Let him be alone for a bit. Maybe that will teach him to behave himself. You can try putting him back in (under supervision of course) but only AFTER the babies are out of the nest and independent of their mother (about two months once they leave the nest).
It may be because he wants to mate but most males attack the babies and kick them out of the nest. Not attack the female. I'm not sure why he did that.
It's hard to say. Like I said, try putting him back in and watch the cage carefully and see what he does. But for now leave him where he is. It'll do him good to be alone with his thoughts.
Both sexes are about the same really. It depends on the personality of the birds. I find it's best when mom and babies are kept together if you're going to go down that way (just don't let them mate). For some reason, they get along. Maybe the babies remember mom. I don't know.