Milton Mum Jailed For Killing Daughter

16 June 2010, 13:20 | Updated: 16 June 2010, 15:46

A mother from Milton has today been jailed indefinitely for killing her baby daughter.

41 year-old Julia Lovemore, from The Sycamores, appeared at Cambridge Crown Court this morning, after previously pleading guilty to the manslaughter of 6 week old Faith, in June 2009.

The judge detained Lovemore under the Mental Health Act and placed her under a specific restriction, which means her sentence is  indefinite.

DS Dan Vajzovic from Cambridgeshire Police said: "This was a tragic case which saw a young life ended deliberately.

Every child has the right to be protected and feel safe in their own home and it is a parent's responsibility to ensure this is the case".

DS Vajzovic added "This was a long and complex case and I would like to thank all the people who have been involved in bringing it to court.

Faith Lovemore stopped breathing at her home and was brought into a G.P surgery in Milton, then taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival".

In February, when Lovemore had pleaded guilty, she accepted she had smothered baby Faith, causing her death.

Mr Justice Cooke said on the day of Faith's death, Lovemore was suffering from "mania with psychotic symptoms", including "grandiose delusions of special powers'' and "religious delusions of identity."

Local authority bosses said the speed of Lovemore's decline on the day Faith died was not anticipated and medics had not fully understood the link between the couple's mental illness and their religious fanaticism.

"We are deeply upset and saddened,'' said Gordon Jeyes, vice-chairman of Cambridgeshire Local Safeguarding Children Board - which is made up of health authorities, police and social services departments.

"The circumstances around this death were exceptional.

There were complex issues within the family around mental health, and the practice of their religious beliefs."

He added: "The report also highlights that the link between the family's background of mental illness, and the way they chose to practise their religious beliefs, was not sufficiently understood.

"This is one of four key learning points in the report, which have been acted on by the agencies involved in safeguarding children in Cambridgeshire."