Mum tried to murder her two children in ‘revenge’ for husband’s affair

A nurse who tried to kill both her children after her husband confessed to an affair sobbed in court as she was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

The 39-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, stockpiled drugs at her home after her husband left to be with another woman.

Last February, she tucked her two children into her bed and gave them a cocktail of strong pills, including painkillers, antidepressants and sleeping tablets, to be taken ‘one by one’.

She then sent a suicide voicemail to her brother, who called the police, prompting a huge response from police, paramedics and fire in Uckfield, East Sussex.

They found a 10-year-old boy lying on a vomit-covered bed with his eyes wide open and assumed he was dead. Paramedics found his 13-year-old sister wandering around in a ‘dazed and confused’ state.

The court heard when she was arrested for the attempted murder of both of her children the mother said: ‘I didn’t force them.’

The mum was conscious but slurring her words and they were all rushed to the hospital where they received emergency treatment, eventually making a full recovery.

Today, she cried in court as she was sentenced to 16 years in prison after being convicted of two counts attempted murder.

Sentencing Judge Christine Laing KC said the mother had been ‘obsessed’ at presenting herself as the perfect mother and wife in a perfect family unit, but the marriage had caused her ‘despair and rage’ and decided to try to take her life and those of her children as a way of getting revenge.

She said: ‘I am satisfied your own sense of being wronged and your concern about your standing in the eyes of your family, friends and local community was far outweighed your concern for your children.

‘You tried to end the lives of your two children to punish [your husband], a terrible selfish reaction which you still fail to see the seriousness of.’

Judge Laing sentenced the woman to 16 years for each offence to be served concurrently. Lewes Crown Court heard the woman had become depressed after her husband announced he had been having an affair.

He had left the family home in Uckfield earlier this year and had left the country to be with another woman.

Amy Packham, prosecuting, said the woman said on the suicide voicemail: ‘The reason why I had to end my and my children’s lives is because of these people. My children are very smart and intelligent but because of those two we are going to commit suicide.’

The court heard paramedic, James Punchard, went upstairs where he found the daughter standing just outside of one of the bedrooms.

Ms Packham said: ‘She appeared confused and dazed. He went into the room and found two people on the bed, the boy who initially appeared to him to be dead as he had his eyes open and was not visibly breathing and the defendant who was slumped over the top of him.’

‘Mr Punchard asked [the daughter] if she had been given tablets and she nodded. He asked if her mother had given her the tablets and she nodded again. She was taken downstairs to be taken to hospital in an ambulance. She was unsteady on her feet and as she was being taken downstairs was sick into the kitchen sink.’

Ms Packham said the level both children had suffered ‘psychological harm’ that was ‘severe and ongoing’ and they would have to live the rest of their lives knowing their mother had tried to kill them.

In mitigation George Payne, defending, said the defendant was suffering from a depressive episode which affected her judgement and ability to think clearly. He said she fully understood the seriousness of the offences and the pain it had caused.

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