Home / Crime and Justice / Mother pleads guilty to infanticide after convictions quashed
Mother pleads guilty to infanticide after convictions quashed
13 Aug
Summary
- Woman admits to infanticide and attempted murder of her children.
- Previous murder convictions were quashed by the Court of Appeal.
- Sentencing is scheduled for the end of August this year.
A woman, whose anonymity is protected by court order, has pleaded guilty to infanticide and the attempted murder of her two young children. The charges stem from events in July 2021, when she stabbed her baby son and toddler daughter. Tragically, the infant was pronounced dead at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, while his sister received treatment.
In 2023, the woman was convicted of murder and attempted murder, receiving a jail sentence. However, senior judges in the Court of Appeal declared these convictions unsafe in December 2025, prompting a retrial. This March, the court ordered the new proceedings.
Appearing in Belfast High Court on Thursday, the woman entered guilty pleas to both infanticide and attempted murder. Infanticide is defined as the unlawful killing of a child under 12 months by their mother when her mental state was disturbed. The case has a complex history, with substantial material presented to the court. Sentencing is anticipated at the end of August.
