Monday, 15 April 2013

FILICIDE? (multiple): UK: Fiona Anderson's 3 children found dead after her suicide

Mother who fell to her death before her three children aged 3, 2, and 11 months were found dead at her home 'was heavily pregnant and had just split from her boyfriend'

Three children discovered after woman died after a fall in Lowestoft
She has been locally identified as Fiona Anderson
It is believed she had recently split from father Craig McLelland
Friends say she was heavily pregnant when she died
Suffolk Police say they are treating the children's deaths as suspicious
Post-mortem on children will take place this evening

PUBLISHED: 15:38 GMT, 15 April 2013 | UPDATED: 19:38 GMT, 15 April 2013

A young mother plunged to her death from a multi-storey car park today before her three young children were found dead in her flat.

The woman who was named locally as Fiona Anderson, aged in her early 20s, is believed to have been heavily pregnant.

Suffolk Police closed off Gordon Road in Lowestoft, Suffolk, just after 8am when the woman was found with fatal head injuries.

The incident led officers to a basement flat in nearby London Road South three hours later, where the bodies of her three children were discovered.

Grief: Craig McClelland, the father of the three dead children, at the scene. The mother is believed to have committed suicide by jumping from a multi-storey car park this morning

Support: Mr McClelland is comforted by a friend as he surveys the growing mountain of tributes

Distraught: The pair has three children together and are believed to have recently split up

Distraught: The pair had three children together and are believed to have recently split up

Friends described her as a 'brilliant mother' who was devoted to her children Levina, three, Addy, two and an 11-month-old son. But they thought she had been depressed after recently splitting up with her boyfriend Craig McLelland, the father of her children.

One friend said she had heard that Miss Anderson had left a despairing message on her Facebook page on Sunday night, saying: 'My babies will go with me.'

Police are keeping an 'open mind' about the four deaths, but it is believed they are investigating a theory that she killed her children before jumping 40ft to her death.

The ground floor flat in an end terrace Victorian block was cordoned off by police today while officers searched for clues.

The body of the woman was found a short distance from the property where the three dead children were found

Investigation: Police outside the house on London Road South where the three children were found

Deaths: Police have sealed off this multi-storey car park in Lowestoft today after a woman fell to her death here, which led officers to discover her three children dead at home

It is though that Miss Anderson had lived alone in the flat with her children for several years.

Shocked neighbours and friends were last night putting teddy bears, cuddly toys and flowers on a makeshift shrine outside the flat as a mark of respect.

Mr McLelland, who also lives in Lowestoft, arrived at the flat just before 7.30pm and wept while being supported by two friends.

He choked back tears as he told reporters: 'I have just lost my family. My children are dead. What would you be feeling?

'I found out this morning when I got a phone call saying somebody had committed suicide and I had a feeling who it was.'

Tribute: The mountain of cuddly toys at the property grew as people in the town arrived to pay their respects

Remembrance: A police community support officer joined those laying tributes to the children

The three children's bodies were taken to the James Paget Hospital at Gorleston for post-mortem examinations

After looking at the growing pile of cuddly toys outside the flat, he added: 'It is really touching to see that people care.'

Asked if he had recently split up with Miss Anderson, he refused to comment.

Police are awaiting the results of post-mortems by a Home Office pathologist carried out at the James Paget Hospital, Gorleston near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.

Det Supt John Brocklebank of the Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team described the deaths as 'an awful tragedy'.

The property is a basement flat on the corner of Grosvenor Road and London Road South, a short distance from the sea

He said: 'We are in the early stages of a large investigation to try and work out exactly what has happened.

'It is too early to be able to come up with a definitive explanation and we will be keeping an open mind.

'We are treating the deaths of the children as suspicious, but from our initial enquiries we do not believe there is any threat to the wider community.

'Our priorities now are to establish the circumstances behind the woman's death and how it may be related to the deaths of the three children.'

Mr Brocklebank said police were first alerted by a 999 call from a member of the public who found a woman lying on the ground beside the car park with what appeared to be serious injuries.

Plunge: The town centre car park the woman is believed to have fallen from

The car park is less than a mile away from the flat where the woman's children were found dead

He added: "At this stage we are trying to find out if anyone saw her fall or jump or be pushed. We believe we have got some witnesses who might have seen her falling.

'Emergency services including ambulances and an air ambulance arrived and they did what they could to try and resuscitate her, but unfortunately she was pronounced dead at the scene.

'We managed to identify the lady concerned which led us to the address. Police officers gained access at 11.20am and the bodies of the children were tragically found inside.

'I don't want to speculate about how they died and where the bodies were in the property. We believe she was the mother of the young children.

Probe: Police say the investigation is in preliminary stages and have not formally identified the woman or the children

'At this stage we are keeping an open mind about what happened and we must maintain that open mind. At this time, I don't want to speculate on whether a third party was involved or not.'

Mr Brocklebank said the car park would remain closed so that police could make a forensic search for clues.

He added: 'These are the most tragic circumstances you can imagine and we are looking after the welfare of the officers involved.

'But a family have lost some very precious children and are needs are secondary to the family of the deceased.'

The deaths of the children are being treated as suspicious but the police say they believe there is 'no threat to the wider community'

The deaths of the children are being treated as suspicious but police say they believe there is 'no threat to the wider community'

Karleigh Burlingham, 20, who lives knew Miss Anderson, said: 'She was a lovely person. She just didn't seem the sort of mother to do this. It is devastating that three innocent little children have died.

'I knew her for three or four years and I thought she was a brilliant mother. She must have been going through a very tough time. We just cannot believe it.

'Her kids were healthy and well brought up. Fiona was outgoing and friendly. She would talk to anyone and she was very laid back.

'But her boyfriend left her about a month or so ago for someone else. She was heavily pregnant with a baby girl due next month. I fell out with her about a month ago and have not really seen her since then.

'She was friendly with my sister Kayleigh and she sent a Facebook message to her last night , saying that she was down and had nobody to talk to. My sister said she would talk to her if she wanted.'

Another friend said: 'We heard she put a status on her Facebook page last night, saying, "My babies will go with me".

'I don't think anyone thought she would harm herself, let alone her children. Why kill your kids and then yourself. It is just awful.'

Suffolk Police are appealing for anyone who has information that may help the investigation to contact police on 101.
For confidential support about depression, call the Samaritans on 0845 790 9090 or visit a local Samaritans branch. Or click here to visit the charity's website.

Saturday, 13 April 2013

FILICIDE (multiple): UK: Heena Solanki poisons her daughters, kills herself

Lab technician mother 'poisoned her two daughters with toxic concoction and killed herself' at family home

Father believed to have discovered bodies at Ruislip home
Police allegedly told neighbours to close their doors and windows because of 'chemical incident'

By ANNA EDWARDS

PUBLISHED: 18:08 GMT, 13 April 2013 | UPDATED: 22:21 GMT, 13 April 2013

A laboratory technician was alleged to have killed her two young daughters with toxic concoction before taking her own life in a triple death tragedy.

The mother, named locally as Heena Solanki, is understood to have first killed her two daughters Jasmine, aged nine years, and Prisha, aged four years, and then herself at their smart semi-detached home.

The children's father is believed to have made the grim discovery of the trio's bodies.

This is believed to be Heena Solanki, 34, who is alleged to have killed her two young daughters, Jasmine (left), and Prisha, (right) before taking her own life

This is a picture of the family believed to have died at their homes in Ruislip, and are understood to have been discovered by the girls' father

Moments after paramedics and police arrived, neighbours said they to close all their doors and windows, saying that there had been a 'chemical incident' at the house.

More...

Today detectives from the Metropolitan Police's Homicide and Serious Crime and Command were examining the five-bedroom house.

A spokesman for the police said detectives were not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths, which they said were being treated as 'unexplained.'

Today a number of house windows were wide open for ventilation despite the rain and cool temperatures. The £600,000 pebble-dashed home remained cordoned off.

Jasmine (left) and Prisha (right) were found at their smart semi-detatched home in Ruislip, West London

The woman is believed to be a laboratory technician

A police forensic tent had been erected on the driveway and scenes of crime officers were seen carrying bags full of evidence from the property. Two silver cars were parked on the driveway.

Neighbours said Heena worked as a laboratory technician and was married to Kalpesh, 42.

On her Facebook page, she stated that she studied at South Gujarat University until 2002.

One elderly neighbour who did not want to be named, said 'Last night the police were knocking on doors telling everyone to get inside and close their windows because there had been a chemical incident.

'There were fire engines and ambulances as well as police.

'They were here until the early hours,' he said.

'They were a lovely family. The kids used to run around and play outside, always very happy.

'My wife is very upset. It's heartbreaking. They were lovely children. The mother worked in a laboratory.'

A woman living nearby, who also asked not to be named, said: 'They were a lovely family and the children were brought up very well. They always made an effort to greet you. It's all very sad.'

The bodies of the woman and the two children were taken away earlier today in private ambulances.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said that post mortem examinations were likely to take place next week.

A spokesman for London Ambulance Service said that crews were alerted to an address in Midcroft, Ruislip, West London, at 6.40pm yesterday/ on Friday.

Laboratory technician Heena Solanki, 34, is believed to have killed her two young daughters, Jasmine and Prisha

An evidence bag marked 'caution health hazard' was removed from the home at the centre of the triple death tragedy

Their bodies were found at their smart semi-detatched home in Ruislip, West London

'We were called to reports of an incident,' he said.

'We sent three ambulance crews, two officers and are hazardous area response team.

'Sadly three patients, a woman and two children, died at the scene.'

The spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said that officers were not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths and that they were currently being treated as 'unexplained.'

A Home Office pathologist was expected to carry out post mortem examinations on the dead family and an inquest opened and adjourned next week.

The police spokesman said that the family's immediate relatives had been informed of the tragedy.

Tuesday, 9 April 2013

FILICIDE (?): UK: Emma Bradburn charged in heroin death of her child

Mother of 23-month old baby boy who died from a heroin overdose admits her part in his death

Daniel Jones was found dead at the family home in Wolverhampton in May
Mother Emma Bradburn, 33, admitted causing or allowing his death today
His father Simon Jones, 29, pleaded not guilty to the same charge
Both parents face manslaughter charges in court later this year

By HELEN LAWSON

PUBLISHED: 11:30 GMT, 9 April 2013 | UPDATED: 11:32 GMT, 9 April 2013

The mother of a 23-month-old baby boy who died from a heroin overdose has admitted playing a part in his death.

Daniel Jones was found dead at the family home in Wolverhampton in May last year. Tests later revealed that he died from a heroin overdose and his parents were arrested in December.

Today, Emma Bradburn, 33, pleaded guilty to causing or allowing his death at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

The child’s father, Simon Jones, 29, denied the same charge as he stood alongside her in the dock during the short hearing.

Emma Bradburn, mother of 23-month-old Daniel Jones, has admitted her part in his death from a heroin overdose. His father Simon Jones denies the same charge

A picture from his father's Facebook page shows Daniel Jones smiling in his car seat

Both defendants pleaded not guilty to a separate charge of manslaughter in the case. They will stand trial later this year.

Paramedics were called to the couple’s house in Penn at 6.15am on May 29 last year.

After Daniel’s death it emerged an inquiry would be held by Wolverhampton social services, police and the Probation Service.

The Wolverhampton Safeguarding Children Board is carrying out the serious case review.

More...

Concerns have been raised about how organisations or professionals worked together to protect Daniel.

Neighbours speaking when the news broke said Daniel’s death had been ‘devastating’.

At the time, Anthony Baker, 67, and daughter Natalie, 38, who lived next door, described Daniel as an 'ordinary child'.

Mr Baker added: 'I used to have a laugh with him over the fence.'

Tests showed that Daniel died of a heroin overdose and his parents Emma Bradburn and Simon Jones were arrested in December

Miss Baker said: 'He was a normal happy child.'

Pictures from Jones' Facebook page showed a smiling Daniel in a car seat and the couple posing with him as a baby on a bed.

Previously, Penn ward councillor Martin Waite, who lives nearby, said: 'I’m massively surprised to hear that something like this has happened here. We have meetings with police every month and Penn is generally a low crime area.'

Jones and Bradburn were remanded in custody and will return for a plea and case management hearing charges on May 17.

They will be tried for manslaughter at Nottingham Crown Court in July.

Sunday, 7 April 2013

FILICIDE: UK: University of Manchester study

Findings from most in-depth study into UK parents who kill their children April 4, 2013 Experts from The University of Manchester have revealed their findings from the most in-depth study ever to take place in the UK into the tragic instances of child killing by parents, known as filicide. The research, published in the journal PLOS ONE, found 37 per cent of parents and step-parents who killed their children were suffering from some form of mental illness and 12% had been in contact with mental health services within a year of the offence.Academics from the University's Institute of Brain Behaviour and Mental Health analysed 297cases of convicted filicide and 45 cases of filicide-suicides in England and Wales occurring between January 1997 and December 2006 from the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness (NCI) - a longitudinal national case series of all homicides in the UK, with particular focus on perpetrators with mental illness. The scope of the NCI's clinical dataset enabled analysis of filicide to take place in greater detail than other epidemiological studies. The over-representation of mental illness in filicide was the key finding of the study. Forty percent of filicide perpetrators had a recorded mental illness, consistent with findings from other smaller studies. But the most common diagnoses were mood disorders and personality disorder; not psychosis. This may contrast with popular perceptions and that of some professionals caring for mentally ill parents about more severe psychotic illnesses like schizophrenia. The proportion of perpetrators with psychosis was still high at 15%, (18% mothers) compared to 6% of homicides in general population studies. This compares to 0.4% overall prevalence in UK, 0.5% for women and 0.3% for men, with highest rates for women and men in people aged 35-44 years. Less than half the perpetrators studied with mental illness had previous contact with mental health services; fewer fathers than mothers. Of the total, 20% were treated before the offence, which is lower than a similar Swedish population study (35%). Overall, the Manchester findings were consistent with those reported from a similar large, population-based sample in Denmark, where most parents committing filicide had no prior psychiatric history. This finding would suggest that the perpetrators were either not experiencing serious mental health problems at the time or, that they had not sought help. Other key findings from the research were that 23% of female perpetrators were teenagers at the time of the child victim's birth. In the general population, the proportion of babies born to a teenage mother was 7%. Overall, fathers were significantly more likely to kill their children than mothers, and were more likely to use violent methods of killing, have previous convictions for violent offences, perpetrate multiple killings, and have a history of substance misuse or dependence. Of the 297 total filicide cases recorded during the 10 year period, the study found 13% of perpetrators took their own life after killing their child;known as filicide-suicide. The study also reported that victims were equally likely to be girls as boys. Infants were most likely to be victims rather than school aged or older children. The researchers say the high proportion of infant deaths strengthens calls for early assessment detection of post-partum mental illness - a condition which may be becoming more widespread. Professor Kathryn Abel, who led the study, said: "Identifying associations between mental illness and filicide has clear implications for service providers. It shows there needs to be greater awareness for patients who are parents and especially those with severe mood disorders. This is an increasingly important issue because better mental health care means that more people with mental illness are able to become parents. "Generating effective child violence/homicide prevention strategies requires broad public health approaches. Targeting sub-populations by providing high quality evidence about risk factors such as mental illness and the need for contact with mental health services may prove more constructive for health service development. Violence prevention may also offer possibilities to recognise and intervene with specific risk factors. "Risk-assessment of mothers in joint psychiatric care reported greatest risk of actual harm to child was presented by mothers with mood disorders like depression, rather than schizophrenia. In spite of this, staff consistently perceived and rated mothers with schizophrenia to be the greatest risk to their infants and this was reflected in significantly higher rates of social service supervision on discharge compared to other ill mothers. "Our findings indicate that fathers with a history of substance misuse, violence or mood disorder, and mothers who were teenagers at the birth of their child, or with mood disorder may be appropriate targets for intervention. Parents with mental illness should be asked about violent thoughts toward their children, particularly if depressed." The researchers conclude that understanding the risk factors for filicide and the widespread nature of child abuse is far from complete. Future research on filicide should study these acts in the context of child abuse and domestic violence to support the development of effective interventions, they suggest. More information: dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0058981 Journal reference: PLoS ONE Provided by University of Mancheste

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-04-in-depth-uk-parents-children.html#jCp

Thursday, 4 April 2013

FILICIDE (multiple): UK: Mairead Philpott sentenced 17 years

Mick Philpott sentenced to LIFE and his wife Mairead gets 17 years for house-fire plot which killed six of their children

Judge: Philpott, 56, a 'disturbingly dangerous man with no moral compass'
Wife Mairead, 32, given 17 years in jail for her part in botched arson plot
Co-conspirator Paul Mosley, 46, also handed 17-year prison sentence
Philpott 'driving force behind this shockingly dangerous enterprise'
Judge says he used attempted murder conviction to terrify other women
Family members applaud terms, with one shouting: 'Die, Mick, die'
Philpott smiles and makes obscene hand gestures as he is led away
They plotted to frame lover Lisa Willis for fire which killed six children
Philpott raked in equivalent of £100k in benefits and wages from women

By SIMON TOMLINSON

PUBLISHED: 09:08 GMT, 4 April 2013 | UPDATED: 11:07 GMT, 4 April 2013

Jobless father-of-17 Mick Philpott was sentenced to life in prison today for starting the fire which killed six of his children in an appalling plot to frame his former lover.

His wife, Mairead, who conspired with him, was handed 17 years and told to serve at least half in jail.

The judge Mrs Justice Thirlwell told Philpott he had 'no moral compass' and was a 'disturbingly dangerous man' as she said he must serve a minimum of 15 years.

Jailed for life: Jobless father-of-17 Mick Philpott was branded a 'disturbingly dangerous man' by the judge as he was told to serve a minimum of 15 years in prison. His wife, Mairead (right) was given 17 years

She told him he was the 'driving force behind this shockingly dangerous enterprise' to set up his mistress Lisa Willis.

She said Philpott used his conviction for attempting to murder a girlfriend in 1978 to terrify other women, adding: 'You have repeatedly used that conviction as a means of controlling other women, terrified as to what you would do to them.'

Family members in the public gallery applauded as the judge finished her sentencing. One shouted: 'Die, Mick, die.'

More...

Another said: 'See you, Mairead. Hope you enjoy life on your own.'

'Your own babies,' another called out.

In response, Philpott smiled and made an obscene gesture as he was led from the dock.

Their accomplice Paul Mosley was also handed a 17-year jail term for his part in the fatal arson.

Child killers: Mairead and Mick Philpott (left) and their friend Paul Mosley (right) started the fatal blaze in a wicked plan to frame Philpott's live-lover Lisa Willis after she left the family home with five of her children

Drug-taking layabout: Philpott with six of the children he killed after starting the fire at his home

Fire-ravaged: Floral tributes outside the home where the six Philpott children died in the blaze

All three were each found guilty of six counts of manslaughter after an eight-week trial at Nottingham Crown Court.

They made a despicable gamble to start the fire and blame Miss Willis in a bid to win back custody of five children she took from the family home.

But the idiotic plan went disastrously wrong.

Too much petrol was used and the fire burned out of control – leaving Philpott unable to reach the children in temperatures approaching 1,000F.

The violent drug user was already 'earning' the equivalent of £100,000 in benefits and wages from Mairead and Miss Willis which he forced them to pay into his bank account.

But even that wasn't enough for the former soldier, who hatched a plan to frame Miss Willis for the fire which killed six of this children in an appalling attempt to secure a larger council house.

During the trial, Nottingham Crown Court heard Philpott had lost £1,000 a month when Miss Willis moved out of the family home in Allenton, Derby, with her five children.

Distraught: Mairead's sister, Bernadette Duffy (pictured with her father Jimmy Duffy outside court) told how she tried to rescue her from Philpott's clutches

Facing jail: Mick and Mairead Philpott in court for the mitigation hearing, where the judge was told he was a 'very good father'

Guilty: The Philpotts and Paul Mosley (right) react as the jury delivers its verdicts after the eight-week trial

Mairead's sisters Jennifer and Bernadette told how they frequently tried to rescue her and the children from Philpott's clutches after the household starting imploding when Miss Willis left.

They explained how Mairead attempted suicide in the months before the fire.

More...

Jennifer Lobban told Panorama: 'We would try and get round there when he was doing the school run because we knew that he wouldn’t be in the house.

'We told her that we could go to the school, we could go now; go take the kids from school. We would get her out, but she just wouldn’t leave.'

Philpott once allowed the eldest child, Duwayne, 13, to have a sleepover at Bernadette’s house.

Bernadette said the little boy was in a terrible state, adding: 'Mick said he hadn’t eaten for a week and I took him and my little boy out for a pizza.

'I had never seen a child eat so fast in my life.’

Over the past eight weeks, Nottingham Crown Court has heard how they set fire to their house last May as part of a plan to frame Philpott’s former live-in lover Lisa Willis.

Scorched: The children perished when the fire tore through their home (above) in Derby, last May

'Didn't stand a chance': The blackened front room after the fire at the house where children perished

The fire was also set in an attempt to get a bigger council house, a demand Philpott had infamously made six years earlier on the Jeremy Kyle Show.

But the plan went tragically wrong, with the petrol-fuelled blaze burning out of control.

Jade Philpott, ten, and brothers Duwayne, 13, John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six and Jayden, five, all died.

Later, however, Philpott was totally remorseless.

He ‘loved’ being a local celebrity and was seen 'laughing and joking' and ‘touching up’ his wife in the hospital where her son Duwayne was dying after the fire.

Then, while in custody awaiting trial, he wrote a sick prison letter boasting that if he won freedom he and his wife would celebrate by ‘raping each other’.

The note to friends detailed how he planned to get blind drunk and commit the assault straight after visiting the graves of the children he and Mairead had killed.

The correspondence emerged yesterday as his lawyers pleaded with a judge for a lenient sentence because the father of 17 was a ‘very good’ parent.

Twisted couple: Mick Philpott with his wife Mairead, who friends say did not appear remorseful after the deaths of six of their children

Young lives destroyed: (top row) Duwayne, 13, Jade Philpott, 10, and her brothers John, nine, (lower row) Jack, eight, Jayden, five and Jesse, six

Philpott’s lengthy criminal history has also come to light in recent days.

He appeared in court a week before the blaze last year for a road-rage attack during which he punched driver Jon Welham, 42, who had his daughter Emma, 13, with him in the car.

Philpott pleaded guilty to common assault but denied dangerous driving and was bailed awaiting trial.

In 1991, he received a two-year conditional discharge for headbutting a colleague and in 2010 was given a police caution after slapping Mairead and dragging her outside by her hair.

Anthony Orchard QC yesterday said Philpott’s conviction for stabbing his former girlfriend Kim Hill 27 times in 1978 was a ‘long time ago’ and said there was no evidence of anything like it being repeated.

But he was immediately cut off by the judge, who retorted: ‘There’s been violence in every single relationship, has there not?’

The lawyer added: ‘Despite Mr Philpott’s faults he was a very good father and loved those children. He is, as is Mairead, a parent who lost six children. He’s never been able to grieve or even to bury them.

‘He will have to live with the hatred and hostility of the press and the public for the rest of his life.’

Shaun Smith QC, for Mairead Philpott, said she was ‘an extremely good mother to all 11 children’.

‘She will be forever known as a child killer,’ he added, noting that she might face threats in prison because of the nature of her crimes.

Mosley - or 'Shakey' as he is known to friends – was also found guilty of six counts of manslaughter after Nottingham Crown Court heard he helped Philpott set the fatal fire before fleeing the scene when police were called.

He was convicted after jurors heard officers found incriminating traces of petrol on his clothes from the night of the fire, which he had spent at the Philpott’s home.

No petrol container was ever found because it is believed to have been handed from Philpott to Mosley through a front window before the fire was set.

Hours earlier he had a sordid threesome with the married couple and was, days later, taped receiving a sex act from Mrs Philpott in an attempt to keep him 'onside'.