No Murder Trial For Mum Who Killed Kids

A mother who admitted suffocating her three young disabled children before trying to kill herself will not face trial for murder, a court has heard.

Tania Clarence, 42, had pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Olivia, four, and three-year-old twins Ben and Max by diminished responsibility - but denied murder.

Her plea was accepted at a hearing at the Old Bailey, meaning she will no longer face trial next year.

The court was told that in the light of medical reports, the Crown Prosecution Service accepted that Clarence was suffering from a "major depressive episode" at the time of the killings which amounted to an "abnormality of mind".

Clarence, who was not in court, will be sentenced on 14 November when she is likely to face a hospital order.

Jim Sturman QC, defending, said a hospital order would be a "just and compassionate" sentence.

"This is a truly tragic case. Anybody who reads the evidence cannot fail to be moved," he said.

"[Clarence] was manifesting stress throughout the life of the children by their suffering and caring for three children with this condition was exhausting, distressing, debilitating and turned out to be overwhelming."

Clarence's husband Gary was in court for the brief hearing. The investment banker was in his family's native South Africa when he heard about the deaths.

At a previous hearing, the court heard that Clarence confessed to killing three of her children at the family home in the wealthy southwest London suburb of New Malden on 22 April.

Clarence left three notes before allegedly smothering the children, who all had type 2 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a life-limiting genetic condition which leaves children with little or no control of their movement.

She then tried to kill herself by taking a drug overdose and slashing her wrists.

The mother of four was discovered bleeding and crying by the children's distraught nanny and a neighbour.

They found the house in darkness and discovered one of the notes, written in Afrikaans, to Gary at the bottom of the stairs.

The court heard that they found Tania Clarence in a bedroom and she told "them to go away, saying that it was too late".

Asked if she had taken anything, the court was told that Clarence replied: "I took something yesterday, but it didn't work."

Police were called and the neighbour checked if anyone else was in the house.

He opened the door into the children's bedroom and saw the twin boys dead, but was too shocked to continue his search of the house.

Two other notes were found in the house. One discovered on top of a pile of clothes in the master bedroom read: "Gary, I don't want to be saved please. I can't live with the horror of what I have done. I thought the pills would work, they didn't."

A third note was addressed to the nanny, described in court as "a significant member of the family". Its contents were not divulged.

:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 08457 90 90 90 or email jo@samaritans.org mailto:jo@samaritans.org