Courts / Ireland / Report
Woman described suffocating toddler daughter as she napped, jury hears
Summary
In a Central Criminal Court murder trial, a mother was found to have smothered her three‑year‑old daughter with a "Minnie Mouse" pillow while the child was napping on the couch. The mother, who had become obsessed and overwhelmed by her daughter's autism diagnosis, told Garda that she held the pillow over the child's face as she struggled and screamed. She claimed she intended for her daughter to die and later called 999, stating she had tried to suffocate her child. The mother pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and a consultant forensic psychiatrist testified that she was suffering from recurrent depressive disorder with psychotic features at the time of the offence. The trial continues with the court hearing her mental state and the circumstances surrounding the killing.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Woman described suffocating toddler daughter as she napped, jury hears. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Not guilty by reason of insanity
When:
- January 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
- February 4, 2018 Incident
- 2019-10-22 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Not guilty by reason of insanity
Outcome: Not guilty by reason of insanity; She had thought about going to the beach and drowning herself and had googled the words "toddler suffocate pillow", "drowning", "mothers killing autistic child" and "sentence for murder" on her phone in the days leading up to the killing.
Places mentioned
- The Central Criminal Court
- Central Criminal Court
- Central Mental Hospital
Topics
If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.
Email a correction request