Jury out in killer mother trial

The jury in the trial of a mother accused of murdering her disabled daughter is considering its verdict.

Joanne Hill, 32, admits killing Naomi, at their home in Connah's Quay, Flintshire, but denies murder due to diminished responsibility.

The prosecution have argued Mrs Hill murdered her daughter because she could not cope with her mild cerebral palsy.

Her defence told Chester Crown Court she was guilty of manslaughter as she had an "abnormality of the mind".

The trial has heard how on 26 November, 2007 Mrs Hill, who has a history of mental health problems, collected Naomi from a childminder and took her home, where she ran a bath and drowned her.

She then dressed the little girl and put her in her car with a bottle of wine before driving around for eight hours.

The following day, Mrs Hill arrived at the Countess of Chester hospital with her dead daughter in her arms, shouting for help.

The jury can only return verdicts of guilty of murder or guilty of manslaughter.

Mrs Hill's defence team have claimed her abnormality was an atypical affective disorder which resulted in severe depression and the "disassociation" of emotions.

They outlined her mental health history for the jury which began at 17 when she saw a child psychiatrist for depression and compulsive thoughts.

Dr Aideen O'Halloran, a consultant forensic psychiatrist, said statements by witnesses about Ms Hill's behaviour in the weeks, days and hours leading up to Naomi's death, indicated she was suffering from a relapse of her disorder which first became apparent when she was a teenager.

However, the prosecution argue that Mrs Hill made a "deliberate and conscious" decision to kill her daughter because she could not cope with her disability.

Michael Chambers QC, for the prosecution, highlighted evidence from her husband Simon Hill who had told the jury Mrs Hill said she wanted to have Naomi adopted or fostered.

Mr Hill also said his wife had been drinking heavily in the weeks preceding the killing and it had caused a deterioration in their marriage.

Another consultant forensic psychiatrist, Dr Paul Chesterman, told the jury he could find no evidence of severe mental illness at the time Mrs Hill killed her daughter.

He said people with severe clinical depression would not be able to perform at work and would be "unable" to share a joke with anyone.

The court heard Hill had been at work the day that Naomi died and had shared a joke with a member of staff at a petrol station after Naomi was drowned.