Sam Magee KC prosecutes mother for infanticide and attempted murder of her children

Sam Magee KC prosecuted a woman who was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to the infanticide of her eight-week-old son and the attempted murder of his toddler sister. The offences arose from an incident in July 2021 in which both children were stabbed.

The defendant was convicted of murder and attempted murder in 2023, but those convictions were quashed by the Court of Appeal in December 2025 following allegations of prosecutorial and expert misconduct. Brought in by the Director of Prosecutions on the appeal, Sam realistically conceded that significant errors had been made at the trial in the handling of the prosecution expert rendering the murder conviction unsafe but nonetheless successfully argued that a retrial should be ordered. Following the receipt of fresh expert evidence, the defendant subsequently pleaded guilty to infanticide and attempted murder.

Complex expert medical evidence concerning the defendant’s mental condition lay at the heart of the case. While infanticide has, for many decades, generally attracted non-custodial disposals, the particular circumstances of this case – including the defendant’s ability to form the requisite intent to kill both children and the degree of disturbance of her mind – resulted in the court imposing concurrent sentences of 10 years’ imprisonment on each count.

You can read more about this case at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c36lxgr19g1o