Woman who stabbed her two children accused of giving herself superficial wounds for 'effect'

A woman who stabbed her two children was accused of causing herself superficial wounds "purely for affect". As she spent her fifth and final day in the witness box at Belfast Crown Court, the 30-year-old was also accused of telling a "plain lie" about a comment she made to a doctor in the aftermath of knife attack which claimed the life of her infant son. The accused - who can't be named for legal reasons - is standing trial on charges of murdering her eight-week-old son and attempting to murder her two-year-old daughter.

The siblings sustained knife wounds in the family's home in Belfast on July 27, 2021. Their mother has already admitted stabbing the youngsters but has denied the two charges. Following a week-long adjournment, the trial resumed on Thursday and the accused was called to the witness box for the final time. Under a continued cross-examination by Crown barrister Richard Weir KC, the accused was asked about self-inflicted knife wounds to her neck. Pointing out she stabbed both her son and daughter in the heart area and questioning her claim that she intended to kill herself after she stabbed her children, Mr Weir asked her "why did you not stab yourself in the heart?" She replied that she "started off around the neck" then tried to stab herself in the stomach - but couldn't. Mr Weir then told the accused it was the Crown's case that her injuries were superficial and "purely for affect, to try and suggest you were going to take your own life." The accused said "I don't remember ... I don't even know how deep they were." And when Mr Weir put to her "they certainly weren't near you heart were they?, she replied "no." She was also questioned about a comment she made to a doctor in the aftermath of the knife attack when she said 'he destroyed my life so I destroyed his' which the Crown say was in reference to her partner. Mr Weir asked her about this and when she said "I don't know, I don't recall", the prosecutor said "that's just a plain lie" and added her words "encapsulate exactly what you did and you tried to do in this case ... those words are you describing how you felt and what you wanted to do." She was again accused of attacking her children out of spite towards her partner and replied "I didn't spite him. I wasn't raised to be spiteful to people." The accused also reiterated her claim that she felt had no support from her partner or his family and told the court "I felt I was the black sheep." After her evidence was concluded, Judge Donna McColgan KC addressed the jury and thanked them for their continued dedication. Telling the jurors that the case will resume again next Monday when medical evidence will he heard, the Judge warned them not to discuss the trial with anyone or carry out their own research. At hearing

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