Mother starts child murder term

Naomi Hill was held face down under water for up to 10 minutes

A mother with mental health problems who drowned her daughter in a bath has started a life sentence for her murder.

Joanne Hill, from Connah's Quay in Flintshire, was jailed at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday for killing four-year-old Naomi, who had mild cerebral palsy.

Paul Schleising, head of Golftyn CP School, said everyone would remember Naomi with "great fondness and love".

He said pupils had remembered her birthday in June by leaving cards at the foot of a tree planted for her.

'Very special little girl'

"Naomi is still very much in our thoughts - especially with the staff, children and parents from her class," he said.

"Naomi was such a very special little girl who brightened up our days.

"Our thoughts are also with Naomi's family. At school, we feel a huge sense of loss and can only imagine how they must be feeling at this time," he said.

A full review of the mental health care given to Hill is to be held by the Flintshire Local Safeguarding Children's Board.

North Wales NHS Trust said recommendations from an interim review had already been implemented.

Joanne Hill first suffered mental health problems as a teenager

In a statement, the trust said it would be inappropriate to comment until the formal processes had been concluded.

Hill had experienced mental health problems since she was 17 when she was treated for anxiety.

She was treated for post-natal depression following Naomi's birth and had appeared to make a recovery, before suffering a relapse.

In August 2007, her case was closed after doctors decided there was no need for further care from her local mental health team.

Three months later, she killed Naomi by drowning her in a bath, holding her head under water for up to 10 minutes.

National register

The cerebral palsy charity Scope called for a national register of children with the condition to help plan services and end a "postcode lottery".

Its chair Alice Maynard said Naomi's death was a tragedy.

"However, this case raises the wider issue of how many disabled parents still don't get the support they need in bringing up children and how society continues to portray disability in a negative light, creating shame and stigma around impairment," she said.

"This means that the parents of disabled children don't get the advice that they need to understand and deal positively with their child's impairment or condition."