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. Describing her as a "loving mother", Judge Justice Linden said: "It is my view you would not have done what you have if you were well."

The judge sentenced Ali to an indefinite hospital order after hearing psychiatric evidence that her offending was "almost entirely attributable to mental disorder".

"For the rest of your existence, you will live with the knowledge of what you have done and the loss of your beloved children," he added.

"I am quite sure that you are heartbroken by what happened."

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 found her partially clothed in a "very disturbed state, looking like a zombie" with self-inflictedstab wounds to her throat and stomach.

The children were discovered dead on her bed, having suffered "terrible injuries" which the judge said were "consistent with [Ali] being in a psychotic state".

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

An inquest into their deaths was previously told the three children died of stab 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 discharged from Southmead Hospital two weeks later after undergoing surgery for her injuries, and is now living in a secure psychiatric hospital.

She told a nurse she had received "messages" to kill her children at midnight, "but no-one died and I asked Allah for forgiveness", the court heard.

Andrew Langdon KC, defending, said two separate forensic psychiatrics at the facility 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 judge said there were "deficiencies in the assessment of you by mental health services" due to the lack of an acute psychiatric bed at the time.

Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust has since apologised "for failings in the care [she] received".

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 the terms of her spousal visa meant she had no access to public funds and her ability to remain in the country depended on staying married.

But their relationship became strained during her third pregnancy, and Ali told family members she wanted to leave.

The judge described how the couple argued about money, with Ali telling family her husband was spending on gambling and becoming "bad tempered when he had lost".

In September 2023, the children's primary school raised concerns to social services about possible domestic violence – with Ali reporting she had been attacked by her husband while breastfeeding.

Three months later, police were called to the family home where officers noted Ali hiding behind them and visibly shaking.

Their three-year-old son Joury demonstrated how his father had put his hands around his mother's throat, the court heard.

Bash, who told police he did not want his wife or children at his home, was arrested and remanded into custody.

"The effect of Mr Bash being remanded into custody was that you had no access to funds," the judge told Ali.

"You were dependant on foodbanks and handouts."

The judge said Ali received visits from members of the community, pressuring her to withdraw her complaint, and was "frightened" about her husband returning or being evicted from the home, which was in his name.

Despite these issues, 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.

Ch Insp Keith Smith from Avon and Somerset Police described it as a "deeply distressing case".

"Our hearts go out to the family of the children, as well as all those who also knew and loved Fares, Joury and Mohammed," he said.

"They had their bright futures taken away from them and the impact of their loss continues to be felt profoundly.

"The Sea Mills community pulled together in the aftermath of this incident and there have been countless displays of kindness and support shown."

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