A young mother who killed her four-year-old daughter because she feared she would be taken from her was today ordered to be detained indefinitely at a secure hospital.
Laura Fletcher drowned Chloe by holding her down in a bath of cold water, before attempting to hang herself.
Drowned: Chloe Fletcher was held in a cold bath by her mother, Laura (Daily Mail-UK)
The 23-year-old, who was suffering a serious mental illness, then spent two days in the house with her dead child before reporting the crime to police from a public phone box half a mile from her home.
Fletcher, of Oakdale Avenue, Wallasey, Merseyside, admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility last month.
At her sentencing today, the Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Henry Globe QC, was told she killed Chloe because she feared the little girl was going to be taken from her by relatives of the child’s father, Dean Marr.
Andrew Menary QC, prosecuting, said: ‘Police received a call from the defendant saying she had killed her daughter and attempted to hang herself, but the cord had snapped.
‘Soon after, the police met the defendant at her home when she immediately repeated, “I’ve killed her, I’ve killed her”.’
Police found Chloe had been dressed and laid out on the bed with a soft toy by her side, Mr Menary said.
Next to the child was a note apparently written by Fletcher which said: ‘I’m sorry Chloe you’ve died, but I just didn’t want to lose you to the Marrs because I was scared of them taking you as you were alive.
‘I love you that much I did that. I love you and will miss you loads. I tried but I couldn’t kill myself, it snapped.
‘I love you always no matter what you think of me, love Mummy.’
Mr Menary added when Fletcher was taken into police custody, she had written on her left arm with a pen: ‘I do not want any more kids’.
He said the killing took place in the early hours of Monday April 27 this year but it was not until early on Wednesday April 29 that Fletcher called the police.
The prosecutor said Fletcher had brought Chloe home from nursery school on the previous Friday and gave her a bath, leaving the water in the tub afterwards because she feared the water supply was due to be cut off.
He said: ‘Throughout Saturday and Sunday, both mother and daughter stayed at home until late on Sunday when the defendant became increasingly paranoid.
‘She feared that Julie Marr, Chloe’s paternal grandmother, was going to get access to Chloe and this was not something Laura Fletcher wanted.’
Mr Menary said Fletcher came to the conclusion that the only way Chloe could stay with her was if the child died.
He said: ‘And so she carried the child to the bathroom and put her head first under the water that had been left in the bath a few days earlier.
‘Chloe was half asleep but still struggled with her arms to lift her head above the water.”
Detained indefinitely: Laura Fletcher said she killed Chloe because she feared she would be taken by relatives of the child's father (PA)
Fletcher held her daughter with one hand on her back and one on the back of her head. She later said she had been surprised how long it had taken for her daughter to die.
‘No attempt was made to resuscitate this little girl or to summon help,’ Mr Menary told the court.
‘The defendant slept with her daughter’s body next to her for the remainder of that night.’
Mr Menary said Fletcher and Mr Marr had separated in 2006, when Chloe was aged one.
He added that the father and particularly his mother, Julie Marr, had continued taking an active interest in Chloe.
He said they told police Fletcher had been a good mother who kept Chloe clean and well cared for.
But, the prosecutor added, things changed ‘dramatically’ in about July 2007.
Mrs Marr had not heard from Fletcher for some weeks so visited her house and found the defendant and Chloe in a dirty and unkempt state.
Mrs Marr took her granddaughter home with her for several weeks until Chloe returned to live with her mother.
Shortly afterwards, Fletcher moved house and Chloe’s father’s family again lost contact.
Mr Menary said: ‘Social services said that Laura was fine but would not give Julie any information.
‘In March 2008, Dean Marr discovered the defendant’s new address and visited on Mother’s Day only to discover the defendant and Chloe were living in appalling conditions.
‘The house was dirty and despite the cold weather there was no heating on the premises.
‘Dean Marr found Chloe sitting naked in an empty bath. There was no food in the house and the place was in darkness because the electricity had been turned off.
‘Mr Marr called the police and social services were contacted the next day.
‘From that point neither Dean nor Julie saw Chloe. They made efforts through social services and even used a solicitor to no avail.
‘From the limited information we have, it appears social workers and other support staff did try and help Laura but she failed properly to engage with them, frequently missing appointments refusing access to people when they came to assess the situation.
‘No one, it seems, assessed Chloe as at risk from the defendant.’
In her victim impact statement, Mrs Marr said: ‘I cannot begin to understand why my gorgeous granddaughter Chloe was cruelly taken from me.’
The grandmother said ‘every day was a struggle’ and added: ‘Her gorgeous smiling face is always with me.
‘Chloe is the saddest victim, innocent and lovely. It is us who will serve a life sentence, unable to see her again.
‘We will never get over losing Chloe, my heart is broken forever.’
Source: Daily Mail (UK)
