Court appearance adjourned

23 April 2010, 11:44 | Updated: 23 April 2010, 11:52

The court appearance of a woman from Surrey, who has been charged with the murders of her two young children who's bodies were found in Heathfield, has been adjourned for further medical reports.

Three-year-old Harry and two-year-old Elise Donnison were found in separate holdalls in the boot of a Nissan car near the former family home in Heathfield, East Sussex.

Initial post-mortem examination results revealed that the brother and sister died from asphyxia and had been dead for less than 24 hours when their bodies were found by police on January 27.

Their mother, Fiona Donnison, 43, was remanded in custody and transferred to a medium-secure psychiatric unit after being charged with their murders between January 25 and 28.

Sussex Police referred part of their inquiry into the deaths to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) after claims that the children's father, Paul Donnison, who was estranged from Donnison, expressed concern to police about their safety.

After their deaths Mr Donnison issued a statement describing Harry and Elise as ``the lights that shone the brightest in my life''.

Donnison, a former City worker, of Marshwood Road, Lightwater, will now appear for a plea and case management hearing at Lewes Crown Court on June 24.