Woman accused in 1982 baby death

The High Court in Edinburgh heard Ms Liehne's trial may begin in 2005

A woman has appeared in court charged with the murder of a baby in Edinburgh nearly 22 years ago.

Jennifer Liehne, 40, is accused of both the attempted murder and murder by suffocation of seven-month-old Jacqueline Smith on 20 December, 1982.

The case may take a year to come to trial and the defence may involve Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy.

This is a medical condition in which sufferers cause or fabricate illnesses in their children.

Ms Liehne, of Clermiston Place, in Edinburgh, is charged with murdering Jacqueline Smith at an address in the city's Hyvot Avenue by assaulting her by obstructing her upper airways by means unknown, by restricting her breathing and by suffocating her.

She is also alleged to have attempted to murder her between 14 October and the day of her death in 1982 at houses in Edinburgh.

If it raises this syndrome, to which much publicity has been given recently, as to its validity, it is a very complicated matter indeed Lord Johnston

She is further charged with assaulting another girl over a period between 1986 and 1996.

It is alleged she caused her to suffer from illness and rendered her subject to unnecessary medical intervention.

Having been prescribed an anti-depressant she administered it to her and pretended to doctors and medical staff that the child suffered illness from natural causes and suffered from fits and convulsions, had stopped breathing and had bleeding, it is alleged.

The charge states that doctors and medical staff were caused to examine the child and admit her to hospital and she was "falsely diagnosed with epilepsy and subjected to repeated unnecessary hospitalisation, to unnecessary invasive examinations, to the prescription and administration of various medications".

Alternative wording

The charge involving the second child was also brought in an alternative form against Liehne alleging culpable and reckless conduct by her.

At a preliminary hearing it was suggested Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy (MSbP), where sufferers induce or fabricate illnesses in their children, may form part of Ms Liehne's defence.

Lord Johnston said if the case raised the attention-seeking syndrome then it would be very complicated.

He said: "If it raises this syndrome, to which much publicity has been given recently, as to its validity, it is a very complicated matter indeed."

The case was brought to the court on Friday for a hearing to check on the state of preparation for going to trial.

'Medical interpretations'

Defence counsel William Taylor QC said among the witnesses expected to be called at trial were "a number of very senior medical people".

He said: "The trial will essentially be a competition between different medical interpretations.

"There is no prospect this case will be ready for trial, in the opinion of those instructing me and indeed counsel instructed for the trial, for a period of a year from now."

Advocate depute Alan Mackay said he was advised by those preparing the case that it was "not an unreasonable estimate".

The Crown agreed to desert the indictment meantime, in a way that allows it to raise charges at a later date.