Mum sentenced for killing her three children

A mother who admitted killing her three childrenhas been sentenced to an indefinite hospital order in a secure psychiatric facility.

The bodies of Fares Bash, seven, Joury Bash, three, and nine-month-old Mohammed Bash were discovered on Blaise Walk in Sea Mills, Bristol, on 18 February 2024.

Appearing at Bristol Crown Court earlier, Yasmeen Ali, 44, admitted three charges of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, as her defence said she was suffering from an "acute psychosis".

She wept as details of the fatal injuries were read out, and Judge Justice Linden - describing her as a loving mother - said: "It is my view you would not have done what you have if you were well."

Ali, speaking through an interpreter, appeared in court wearing a purple coat and a black head scarf.

Only six people were allowed into the courtroom to minimise the impact on her mental health.

The court was told the incident began with a three-minute phone call to 999, in which Ali sounded out of breath, was speaking in Arabic, and told police she was "going to God".

When officers arrived, they discovered the children dead and found Ali in a "very disturbed state, looking like a zombie" with self-inflicted wounds to her neck.

The house was described as "dirty and chaotic", with blood all over the landing.

An inquest into the deaths was previously told the three children died of knife wounds, with injuries to their chests and necks. Fares Bash also showed possible signs of asphyxia.

Ali, who previously worked as a nurse in Sudan, wept in the dock as her children's fatal injuries were read out, and their father Alfil Bash left the courtroom.

Avon and Somerset Police said Ali was detained under the Mental Health Act.

She was later discharged from Southmead Hospital after being treated for her injuries, and is now living in a secure psychiatric hospital.

Andrew Langdon KC, defending, said two separate doctors at the secure psychiatric unit believed Ali was suffering from schizoaffective disorder.

This combines symptoms of schizophrenia - such as hallucinations or delusions -with symptoms of a mood disorder, such as depression or bipolar disorder.

The force referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to prior contact with the family, but the watchdog said no investigation was required.

The court also heard Ali had been discharged from mental health services on 12 February - just six days before the killings.

The court heard the couple met in Egypt in 2015 through an arranged marriage.

The following year, Ali gave birth to her eldest son and they relocated to the UK.

She soon became financially dependent on her husband as she could speak little English, and her immigration status prevented her from finding employment.

A social worker described the defendant as a "very loving" and affectionate" mother who had never caused concerns up until February 2024.

Langdon argued Ali was in the "grip of delusions which she acted on", and "was unable to understand the nature of what she was doing".

"She didn't realise her children were dead or that she had killed them - the horror when she was told can only be imagined," he said.

"It was her illness that made it happen.

"On an instinctive emotional level from a mother, the horror never dissipates - she will have to live with this for the rest of her life."

Addressing Ali and Bash, the judge added: "What has happened is a tragedy, from which neither of you will recover and causes both of you unimaginable pain in your daily lives."

In a victim impact statement, Bash described the children as "his whole world", adding it was hard to accept the "size of the betrayal" from their mother.

"No words can describe the pain I am going through. Part of me has died," he said.

"My children were innocent human beings. They were precious and deserved long happy lives, to make friends and make their own families one day.

"I'll spend the rest of my life grieving for my children."

After the children's deaths, the community held vigils in their memory.

Sian Randall, headteacher at Sea Mills Primary School, where the two eldest children were pupils, said there were "no words that display the depth of sorrow".

"We will miss them dearly, they were integral to us. Their absence will always be felt," she added.

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