FORDINGBRIDGE MOTHER CLAIRE COLEBURN FOUND GUILTY OF MURDERING THREE-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER IN SHOCKING CASE

In a harrowing case that has shocked the community of Fordingbridge, Claire Colebourn, a 36-year-old woman and former biology teacher, was convicted of the murder of her three-year-old daughter, Bethan. The tragic events unfolded following the breakdown of Colebourn's six-year marriage, which appeared to have deeply affected her mental state.

On the morning of October 19, 2017, Bethan was discovered unresponsive in her bed at their home on Whitsbury Road by her grandmother. Despite the efforts of paramedics, the young girl could not be revived, and her death was ruled a murder. The court heard that Colebourn had drowned her daughter in a bath, an act that was carried out shortly after waking her in the early hours of that day.

The trial, which lasted for eight days at Winchester Crown Court, culminated in a unanimous verdict of guilty after the jury deliberated for approximately two and a half hours. The jury, composed of five women and six men, listened intently as the foreman announced the decision. Colebourn showed no visible reaction to the verdict, maintaining a composed demeanor as the court proceedings concluded.

Prosecutors presented evidence suggesting that Colebourn harbored unfounded suspicions that her husband, Michael, a company chief executive, was having an affair. These suspicions appeared to have contributed to her mental distress. During the trial, Colebourn's social media activity was scrutinized, revealing a Facebook post in which she claimed that Michael had left the family on September 7 and had been untraceable since then. She accused him of having an affair with his financial director and suggested that their relationship was premeditated, aimed at taking over the business and starting a new life together.

Following the murder, Colebourn attempted to end her own life by repeatedly injecting herself with insulin. Evidence also indicated that she had searched online for websites related to drowning and suicide, further highlighting her state of despair. During her testimony, she expressed her belief that her husband had monitored her online activity, which she claimed contributed to her emotional turmoil. She stated, “When your emotions are being hammered by somebody so much and you see your beautiful little girl suffering because she feels for her mummy, then she’s going to be a lot safer in heaven than she is anywhere near her father. Her spirit can be at peace and Michael would not let us be at peace.”

In a letter written while she was hospitalized, Colebourn told a relative that she believed she had saved Bethan’s life, stating, “In my eyes, I saved her.” When questioned by police about this comment, she admitted, “I can’t be a liar… I’m going to have to go against legal advice. Bethan drowned because I was there. I held her under the water.”

As the case concludes, Colebourn is scheduled to be sentenced on the upcoming Monday, leaving the community to grapple with the tragic loss of a young life and the devastating circumstances surrounding her death.