A delusional Melbourne mother was discharged from a psychiatric unit 11 days before she killed her baby out of fear the world was ending and she would turn into an animal, a court has been told.
The mother, who is in custody, has pleaded guilty to the infanticide of the 13-month-old girl.
The infant’s body was found at her suburban Reservoir home with a stab wound to her throat on June 5.
The mother, who is in custody, has pleaded guilty to the infanticide of the 13-month-old girl at their Melbourne home (pictured)
The Supreme Court on Monday was told the accused woman has paranoid schizophrenia and suffered postpartum depression after the birth of each of her children.
She spent at least six stints as a psychiatric inpatient in the lead-up to the killing but was discharged on May 25, 11 days before the death.
At that time, she appeared to be in good spirits according to her husband, with no concern about the safety of her children or her ability to care for them.
After her arrest, the woman was detained at Thomas Embling mental health hospital where she told a psychiatrist the end of the world was coming and many people, including her daughter, would turn into animals, so she had to protect her by killing her.
The court was told that since July 2015 the mother had not taken appropriate medication for her illness.
She made various claims including that her husband was the devil and had put a hex on her.
After her arrest, the woman was detained at Thomas Embling mental health hospital where she told a psychiatrist the end of the world was coming and many people, including her daughter, would turn into animals, so she had to protect her by killing her
The court was told that since July 2015 the mother had not taken appropriate medication for her illness (Pictured are officers at the woman’s home)
She also claimed he cheated on her and was violent, a claim found to be false.
The woman, who came to Australia as a refugee, also reported family members were terrorists and her father was trying to kill her.
She had shown violent tendencies, stabbing her husband seven times in 2013, which required stitches.
About three weeks before the killing, she also hit her husband twice in the face, causing him to barricade himself in a room with their children.
Defence barrister Tim Marsh asked that the woman receive a community corrections order.
Her case was adjourned until 2018, pending a further mental health report.
The charge of infanticide carries a maximum five years’ jail.
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