Pure evil, mother who drugged and killed baby gets life
A MOTHER who drugged and murdered her eight-week-old baby son was branded “pure evil” by the boy’s grandmother after being jailed for life yesterday.
Hannah Turtle, 22, was told that she must serve a minimum of 14 years and nine months for the murder of her son James at her home in Shotton, North Wales, in June 2016.
Turtle changed her plea to guilty on the seventh day of her trial at Mold Crown Court on Tuesday. She broke down in tears as she admitted drugging the baby’s milk with her own antidepressants and smothering him.
She pleaded guilty to murder, three charges of ill treatment and one charge of administering drugged milk.
She had claimed she heard voices berating her for being a terrible mother and telling her she did not deserve her baby.
The court heard she stopped James breathing three times over 10 days, with the last episode resulting in his death.
Turtle was living with the baby’s father Ian Hughes and his mother Kathleen at the time of the murder.
Grandmother Kathleen said in a statement: “What she has done to our family is unforgiveable.
“I feel she is pure evil and there is nothing I can say that does justice to how we are all feeling.
“She came across as a lovely person and now I believe she was false and manipulative. She killed an innocent, beautiful baby boy. We will never be able to forgive.
“I am happy we’re getting justice for James, but we’d rather have him with us every day.”
Mr Justice Clive Lewis told Turtle that James was vulnerable and deserving of her protection but she had breached her position of trust as a mother.
He said: “James was a healthy, happy baby who was a source of joy and much loved. I accept you suffered from a personality disorder at the time you killed James.
“You were devoid of the emotional and thinking processes which would ordinarily prevent an individual from such maligned thoughts of harming others.”
Gordon Cole QC, defending, said Turtle had a history of taking overdoses and having suicidal thoughts. He said: “She has a troubled background and postnatal depression. There are no excuses for what happened.”
Prosecutor David Elias QC had previously told the jury that Turtle accepted she caused her son’s death but did not mean to.
She deliberately pinched his nose so he was unable to breathe on May 31 2016. He received hospital treatment and was discharged back to his family.
Turtle deliberately suffocated him again on June 3. He was resuscitated and suffered a fit on the way to hospital – but doctors could find no medical reason for his condition. James returned home on June 6 where three days later Turtle murdered him.