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Daughters killed 'as they slept' | |
(20 minutes later) | |
The mother accused of murdering her two daughters at their Cambridgeshire home told a special constable: "I have killed the kids", a court has heard. | |
Rekha Kumari-Baker, 41, of Stretham, denies murdering Davina Baker, 16, and Jasmine Baker, 13, on 13 June 2007. | Rekha Kumari-Baker, 41, of Stretham, denies murdering Davina Baker, 16, and Jasmine Baker, 13, on 13 June 2007. |
Cambridge Crown Court was told Ms Kumari-Baker killed the girls as they slept at home. | |
The judge, Mr Justice Bean, said the defence would argue she had "diminished responsibility" for the killings. | The judge, Mr Justice Bean, said the defence would argue she had "diminished responsibility" for the killings. |
He said they would claim she was suffering from a "serious abnormality of mind" when the offences occurred. | He said they would claim she was suffering from a "serious abnormality of mind" when the offences occurred. |
'Wreak havoc' | |
Prosecutor John Farmer told the jury that Davina was stabbed 39 times in a "frenzied" attack. | |
Ms Kumari-Baker then attacked her younger daughter in similar fashion, he said. | |
Mr Farmer told the court that, after killing the children, she got dressed and twice went out in her car before ringing a friend to say: "I have done something terrible." | |
The court heard there was "much contention" between the defendant and her ex-husband over the care and custody of their children. | |
Jurors were told one theory was that Ms Kumari-Baker wanted to "wreak havoc" on her ex-husband by killing the girls. | |
The court heard Ms Kumari-Baker worked at a hotel near her home and her daughters were educated at Impington Village College and Cottenham Village College, both in Cambridge. |