Woman given hospital order for killing daughter

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9wrk1lkwrdo

A woman who stabbed her daughter 11 times in the chest as she slept has been given an indefinite hospital order.

Shay Kang was found at a house in Robin Close in Rowley Regis, West Midlands, on 4 March.

Her mother Jaskirat Kaur had paranoid schizophrenia and believed she was being targeted by "lasers and technology", Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

The 33-year-old admitted manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility at the same court in August.

A woman who stabbed her daughter 11 times in the chest as she slept has been given an indefinite hospital order.

Shay Kang was found at a house in Robin Close in Rowley Regis, West Midlands, on 4 March.

Her mother Jaskirat Kaur had paranoid schizophrenia and believed she was being targeted by "lasers and technology", Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

The 33-year-old admitted manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility at the same court in August.

She had denied murdering her daughter and her manslaughter plea was accepted by prosecutors.

The court heard she killed her 10-year-old daughter with a Swiss Army knife and then called emergency services hours later to say: "My kid is dead".

When police arrived at their home after the 999 call, the mother-of-one told them there had been "projections coming in and out" of their home, with "tech and lasers and stuff".

She told them: "It was me [that killed her], because I didn't want her getting took by it."

Those in the public gallery sobbed as graphic details of the moment Kaur killed her daughter were read to the court.

'I don't regret it'
At the time of her arrest, she admitted to detectives that she had wanted to kill her daughter for the past seven months.

While she was being interviewed, she told police: "They can't adopt her, they can't take her. It's not going to make sense, but to me it does."

She said she was worried about her growing up and that there "needed to be an end date".

"I would kill her again. I wanted her to die, I don't regret it," she said.

The court heard two forensic psychiatrists had determined Kaur had been suffering paranoid schizophrenia at the time.

Katherine Goddard KC, mitigating for Kaur, said it was a "deep-seated and long-term" condition, with no guarantee of future improvement.

"In short, she will not recover from this condition quickly and there will remain a real risk of relapse," she added.

Kayleigh is holding Shay close to her head and both are smiling at the camera. Kayleigh has dark hair and a fringe.
Image source,Kayleigh Coclough
Image caption,
Shay's godmother, Kayleigh Coclough, said she was a "happy and bubbly" child

Judge Michael Chambers KC accepted a recommendation that Kaur should be given an indefinite hospital order to protect the public from serious harm.

"This is a truly dreadful and tragic loss of life," he said.

"Every child looks to his or her mother for love and protection and this was a gross breach of that trust."

He said Kaur's severe mental illness had caused them to both live socially isolated lives, and it was difficult to comprehend the enormity of what she had done.

"Shay had her whole life before her. She appeared as a happy and contented girl. That was the appearance she gave to the world, but sadly the reality of life at home was very different," he added.

A history of concerns
Shay was a pupil at Brickhouse Primary School and concerns had been raised about her welfare after she failed to attend for nine months between December 2022 and September 2023.

Kaur contacted police on 11 January 2023, the same day the school also contacted officers requesting a safe and well check on Shay as she had not attended, the court heard.

Police found the curtains drawn and observed that Kaur was suffering from paranoia.

During a second visit a few days later she said she was not sending her daughter to school because a "male was going to take her from there".

Officers advised her to see her GP, but noted Shay seem in good health and not in immediate danger, prosecutor Sally Howes KC told the court.

Police shared their body-worn camera footage with the school's pastoral team after a third visit in September to which the team said they were "shocked" at Shay's regression since she stopped attending school.

Social workers then became involved as police considered her a "child in need" and an assessment was carried out on 27 September.

They said Shay looked "relatively healthy but pale" despite having an "unsteady gait" and stilted arm movements, while her mother was said to be anxious and paranoid.

But by November, when a child in need plan was put in place, Shay's speech had regressed to babbling and Kaur remained paranoid despite engaging with social services more, the court was told.

Upon her return to school in January this year, her speech improved.

Shay told teachers she had had no-one to speak to while at home and she and her mother spent their time in separate rooms and "did nothing and went nowhere".

The youngster told her teachers she would spend her time daydreaming or playing on her Nintendo DS and there was no physical affection between mother and daughter.

'Smile brightened dimmest of days'
Brickhouse Primary School, where Shay was a pupil, described her as a "bright, happy, fun-loving child who was well liked by all".

Her body was formally released to the school's headteacher and her funeral, which was held in September, was arranged by the school.

The school community raised £8,875 for Shay's funeral, with any left over money going towards permanent tributes to her on the school's estate.

Carla Newby, the school's pastoral officer, read out a tribute in court on behalf of her and her husband, the school's head teacher Paul Newby, as Kaur listened.

She said Shay was a popular pupil whose "smile could brighten up the dimmest of days".

"This is the most horrific and devastating situation we have ever had to manage," she said.

She added: "It was an honour for us both to have been chosen to arrange her funeral and give her a send-off she deserved. May Shay find some peace now."

Ms Goddard, defending, said Kaur would be "forever grateful" to Mr and Mrs Newby and school community for the love shown to her and Shay.