Psychologist believes mother accused of baby murder and trying to kill daughter 'suffering PTSD'

A woman accused of murdering her eight-week-old son was experiencing PTSD symptoms coupled with depression worsened by the childbirth, a court has been told.

The 30-year-old accused is standing trial in Belfast Crown Court on charges of murdering her son and attempting to murder her two-year-old daughter. The children sustained stab wounds in their Belfast home on the evening of July 27, 2021 - and whilst their mother has accepted she was responsible, she has denied the charges.

A psychologist who assessed the accused following her arrest was called to give evidence at Wednesday's hearing. Attending via a videolink she said she had examined a wealth of information regarding the defendant as well as conducting interviews with her. Under questioning by defence barrister Charles MacCreanor KC, the psychologist confirmed the accused had a "trauma-free childhood" and only started experiencing low moods after meeting her partner in 2018. The psychologist said the accused claimed her mood worsened after the birth of her second child and that she was living in a "state of isolation" in July 2021.

Mr MacCreanor then asked the psychologist about the nature of the relationship between his client and her partner, with the witness saying it was her opinion that the accused was "being subjected to coercive control including various forms of emotional, physical, financial and sexual abuse." She confirmed she reached this conclusion on the basis of several strands of evidence including the accused being initially "love-bombed" by her partner and being proposed to within the first week of them meeting. The psychologist said she believed the accused displayed symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder due to her relationship and was also suffering from a moderate to severe level of depression. Confirming she had taken a "cautious approach" when conducting her report, the psychologist was then asked what her opinion was regarding the accused's state of mind on the evening of the knife attack. She replied: "At the time of the offence, I think that she was experiencing PTSD symptoms coupled with depression which was worsened following the birth of her son." The case continues.

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