Tania Clarence detained in hospital for killing disabled children

A depressed mother who was "overwhelmed" by the enormous challenge of caring for her three disabled children before she smothered them in their sleep and attempted suicide has been sentenced to a hospital order under the Mental Health Act.

Tania Clarence, 43, pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility of Olivia, four, and three-year-old twins Ben and Max at the family home in New Malden, south west London, over the Easter holidays.

She will not be considered for release from hospital until she has recovered from her mental illness, a senior judge at the Old Bailey said as he rejected the alternative of sending her to prison.

The children, who suffered from the muscle-weakening condition MSA type-2, were found dead and tucked into their beds with toys arranged around their heads.

Days before the killings, Clarence's husband had taken their eight-year-old daughter, who is not disabled, on a holiday to South Africa leaving the defendant alone with her other children, having given the nanny a day off.

Clarence's investment banker husband Gary, who has supported his wife throughout, was in court for her sentencing.

Sentencing her to a hospital order today, Mr Justice Sweeney said there was "clear and convincing" evidence that she was suffering a "major depressive episode".

He said: "The prosecution accept that you loved all four of your children. Indeed, there is substantial body of evidence that they were happy and well looked after and you were grief-stricken that Olivia, Max and Ben were destined to die early and before you."

Quoting a psychiatrist, he said: "If you had not been suffering from mental illness at the time, you would not have killed your children."

^{Gary Clarence with his twin boys Ben and Max}

He said the mother of four became "overwhelmed" by the enormous challenge of coping with her children and witnessing medical interventions and procedures she felt were unnecessary.

While the Old Bailey was "not the forum" to judge the conduct of the health professionals and social workers involved with the family, the effect of their actions on Clarence's state of mind was an "important factor".

Imposing the order, Mr Justice Sweeney told Clarence she would not be released until she had recuperated from her illness.

Clarence wept uncontrollably in the dock last week as the "grotesque" details of the killings were read out by the prosecution.

All three of the children suffered from the muscle-weakening condition SMA type 2, and had the Clarences known before the twins were born, they would have agreed to abort the pregnancy.

After police arrived and found the bodies at the house in the wealthy south-west London suburb of New Malden on April 22, Clarence repeatedly told the officers: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I killed them".

The mother-of-four left a series of notes, including one to her nanny and her husband.

^{Tania Clarence's children were found dead at the family home in New Malden (Stephen Simpson/LNP)}

The court was told Clarence repeatedly clashed with doctors during a long history of the children's medical treatment in and out of hospital.

Clarence's attitude was that their quality of life was more important than its length and she preferred to opt for palliative care over more invasive treatment.

Defending, Jim Sturman QC said at an earlier hearing: "You are dealing with a case where there is no evidence at all that Mrs Clarence would have harmed a hair on their head but for the illness she suffered."

Clarence had "adored" her children but the problems of caring for them were "almost unimaginable" considering they were unable to feed themselves, walk or hold themselves up.