The mentally ill mother of a 10-month-old baby believed he was a demon and didn’t know what she was doing when she tried to drown him before fatally restricting his breathing, a court has heard.
The woman, who cannot be identified, appeared in the New South Wales Supreme Court on Tuesday after pleading not guilty to attempting to drown her son with intent to murder and murder him.
The court was told she had taken her 10-month-old son swimming in a pool on the night of March 19 and had tried to drown him.
In an interview with police, the woman variously explained that the baby had entered the pool, that she had tried to suffocate him in the water, and that he had sunk after she let him go.
The baby was revived by a good Samaritan who performed CPR while the mother was “screaming and excited”, the court was told.
Paramedics who responded to the scene reported that she was exhibiting strange behavior and separated her from the 10-month-old child while he was rushed to the hospital.
Four days later, the court was told the woman committed an act that caused the baby to stop breathing.
The mother gave different accounts to police, saying she put the baby to sleep and found him unconscious and smothered him by holding him close to her chest.
A mentally ill mother thought her baby was a demon and didn’t know what she was doing when she tried to drown him before fatally restricting his breathing, a court heard.
She attempted CPR before emergency services arrived and took the baby to hospital, where he later died.
Judge Sarah McNaughton concluded the mother was not criminally responsible for attempting to drown her son and fatally restricting his breathing.
“I am satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the physical acts,” she said.
“I am also satisfied on the balance of probabilities, based on the combined and undisputed opinions of Dr (Richard) Furst and Professor (David) Greenberg, that the defendant did not know that the acts were wrong.”
Judge McNaughton found that the mother was incapable of reasoning “with a moderate degree of reasonableness and composure” about whether harming her baby was wrong “due to a deterioration in mental health of the nature of a psychotic disorder.”
The court was told his mother believed he was a demon who had taken the place of her real son.
The court was told the woman had “suffered an exacerbation and escalation of her mental health problems” over the past four years.
He believed himself responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic, the universe spoke to him and he endured auditory hallucinations.
When the baby was six months old, the court was told his mother went to a psychiatrist and informed him she had been “losing touch” and felt she needed to end her life.
“She alleged that she had repeatedly thought that something bad was going to happen to her son and that he would do something bad,” Judge McNaughton said.
The woman told police she realized the baby was not her son a week before he nearly died in the pool.
“At the time of the incidents, the set of psychotic symptoms led the defendant to believe that her son was not her son and had been replaced by some type of evil spirit or demon, so she had to kill him and he would be better.” . that way,” Judge McNaughton said.
In an interview with police, the woman said she thought she was “supposed to do it” and “thought it was the right time.”
A mother is not criminally responsible after killing her young son
The 10-month-old baby died at Westmead Hospital on March 23. Image: 7News
Medical reports from two forensic psychiatrists, Dr Furst and Professor Greenberg, were of the opinion that the woman suffered from schizophrenic disorder or schizoaffective disorder.
However, a third report from NSW Justice Health posited a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
The NSW Justice Health report found there were reasonable grounds to conclude the mother needed ongoing care, treatment and monitoring for her safety and the safety of others.
“If treated inappropriately, the defendant’s condition is likely to deteriorate and she may then pose an increased risk of harm to others and/or herself,” the report states.
Judge McNaughton ordered the woman to be detained in a forensic hospital or other facility determined by the Mental Health Review Tribunal until she was released through due process of law.
“These events are, from any point of view, truly tragic,” he said.
“This is a very sad and distressing matter for everyone involved.”
If you or someone you know needs help, call Lifeline 13 11 14 or Beyond the blue 1300 22 46 36.