MOTHER PLEADS GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER OF TODDLER IN LISBURN
A mother has admitted killing her three-year-old toddler son at their Lisburn home almost two years ago.
Michelle Owens, 28, from Trinity Terrace, had pleaded not guilty to murdering Brendan Owens on 3 July 2013 at an earlier court appearance.
Her defence lawyer told the judge he was making an application to have Ms Owens re-arraigned on the single charge of murder she faced.
She denied murdering her son but admitted his manslaughter.
When the clerk of Belfast Crown Court put the charge of murder to her, she replied: "Not guilty to murder but I plead guilty to manslaughter." A prosecution lawyer told the court he had three expert medical reports which had been completed following an assessment on Ms Owens which stated that the killing was carried out through diminished responsibility.
He told the judge: "Therefore the plea of manslaughter by way of diminished responsibility is accepted." No details surrounding the toddler's death were outlined in court on Friday.
Following her guilty plea the judge ordered a pre-sentence and adjourned sentencing until 8 May.
Ms Owens was returned on bail to a secure psychiatric unit at Knockbracken Health Care park in south Belfast.
This is a probabilistic continent or country-group signal from public name datasets. It is not proof of nationality, ethnicity or personal background.
Likely region signal
UK
Country
from United States
- based on first and surname
55.0%
confidence
First-name region
UK
United States
42.1%
Surname region
UK
United States
67.9%
Court Outcome
Conviction and Sentencing Details
Verified Conviction
Detected legal outcome
ughter. When the clerk of Belfast Crown Court put the charge of murder to her, she replied: "Not guilty to murder but I plead guilty to manslaughter." A prosecution lawyer told the court he had three expert medical reports which had been...
