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Mother guilty of daughter murders | Mother guilty of daughter murders |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A mother who stabbed her daughters to death at her home in Cambridgeshire has been found guilty of murdering them. | A mother who stabbed her daughters to death at her home in Cambridgeshire has been found guilty of murdering them. |
Rekha Kumari-Baker, 41, admitted the killings but denied murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility. | Rekha Kumari-Baker, 41, admitted the killings but denied murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility. |
Davina Baker, 16, and Jasmine Baker, 13, were killed with a kitchen knife in a frenzied attack in 2007. | Davina Baker, 16, and Jasmine Baker, 13, were killed with a kitchen knife in a frenzied attack in 2007. |
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court took about 30 minutes to reach a verdict of guilty on both counts of murder. She will be sentenced on Tuesday. | A jury at Cambridge Crown Court took about 30 minutes to reach a verdict of guilty on both counts of murder. She will be sentenced on Tuesday. |
The court heard Davina was stabbed 39 times at the house in Stretham, on 13 June 2007. | The court heard Davina was stabbed 39 times at the house in Stretham, on 13 June 2007. |
'Something terrible' | 'Something terrible' |
Kumari-Baker, a hotel worker, then attacked her younger daughter in similar fashion. | Kumari-Baker, a hotel worker, then attacked her younger daughter in similar fashion. |
The jury was told that after killing the children she rang a friend to say: "I have done something terrible." | |
In a hand-written note she left at the murder scene, she wrote: "I don't want them to get hurt as I did." | |
She concluded the note by writing: "My kids will not be a burden to anyone anymore." | |
Davina and Jasmine were... killed by the person they should have been able to trust most in this world Det Insp Jim McCrorie | |
The court heard there was "much contention" between the defendant and her ex-husband over the care and custody of their children. | 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 David Baker by killing the girls. | Jurors were told one theory was that Ms Kumari-Baker wanted to "wreak havoc" on her ex-husband David Baker by killing the girls. |
She had also been distressed by a break-up of a relationship with Jeff Powell, the court heard. | |
Evidence was also heard that Kumari-Baker twice told her older daughter "I wish you were dead" during a meeting with teachers in 2004. | |
The girls were murdered as they slept at their mother's house. | |
Prosecutor John Farmer said Kumari-Baker had bought the murder weapon at an Asda supermarket in Cambridge on 11 June 2007. | |
He said she had woken early on 13 June and then gone to the girls' bedrooms and murdered them. | He said she had woken early on 13 June and then gone to the girls' bedrooms and murdered them. |
Psychiatrist Lyle Hamilton - who was called to give evidence by Kumari-Baker's lawyers - said medical literature showed that women had killed children because they were "mentally ill" and because they were a "retaliatory type". | |
He said Kumari-Baker displayed a combination of both categories. | |
But Dr Neil Hunt, a consultant psychiatrist, told jurors he did not think there was evidence of any mental illness, despite Kumari-Baker's "extreme and unusual behaviour". | |
'Sickening crime' | |
After the verdicts, Det Insp Jim McCrorie said: "It became clear, as this investigation progressed, that Rekha Kumari-Baker set out to murder her children. | |
"Only she will know the reasons why she carried out such a vicious and deliberate attack as they lay sleeping in their beds. | |
"Davina and Jasmine were two innocent young teenagers who were killed by the person they should have been able to trust most in this world. | |
"In 25 years in the police service I have never before investigated such an upsetting or sickening crime. " |