SAMANTHA FORD FROM MARGATE SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS FOR TRAGIC TWIN MURDERS IN KENT

In a heartbreaking case that has shocked the community of Margate, Samantha Ford was convicted of the murder of her 23-month-old twins, Jake and Chloe, in December 2018. The tragic events unfolded shortly after her separation from their father, Steven Ford, and have left a lasting scar on all involved.

On Boxing Day of that year, Samantha Ford carried out a horrifying act by drowning her young children in the bath, an act believed to have been driven by her intense anger and emotional turmoil following her split from Steven. The court heard that her actions were not impulsive but stemmed from a complex web of mental health struggles and personal distress.

Following the murders, Ford's mental state appeared to deteriorate further. In the early hours of December 27, she drove her Ford Galaxy at approximately 100 miles per hour into the back of a lorry while not wearing a seatbelt. The police responded swiftly, and when they managed to open her vehicle, she was found in a distressed state, uttering chilling words: “I’ve killed my babies. Please let me die. I put them in the bath. We were meant to be together. I was going to jump off a cliff but it’s too dark.”

Authorities discovered the lifeless bodies of Jake and Chloe in their bedroom at her residence in Margate, Kent. During the legal proceedings, Ford denied the charge of murder but admitted to two counts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, which was accepted by the court in May.

Judge Andrew Edis sentenced Ford to a term of 10 years, with the sentence to be served in a psychiatric facility until she is deemed mentally fit for transfer to a standard prison environment. The judge emphasized the horrific nature of the crime, stating, “The horror of what happened does not need any explanation by me. Anyone with any imagination can envisage for themselves what must have happened in that bathroom. It is unlikely that they died simultaneously and it must have taken some time and required some determination.”

He further noted that Ford’s anger towards her estranged husband was a significant factor in her actions. “In deciding to kill your children and yourself, I am sure that you had thoughts of the effect this would have on Steven Ford, with whom all the psychiatrists say you were preoccupied. You knew it would devastate him and I’m sure that is a reason why you did it,” the judge remarked.

Details of the couple’s troubled relationship were revealed during the trial. The Fords had spent the first ten years of their marriage living in Qatar, enjoying an affluent lifestyle. However, their relationship began to decline after they moved to Charing in Kent in 2018, and their circumstances changed dramatically. Ford’s family members described her mental health as rapidly declining after the separation, with her sending numerous text messages to her estranged husband, pleading for him to return. She expressed her dissatisfaction with returning to the UK, lamenting that their children would grow up in a “miserable cold country” and that they were “destined to be a miserable family living in a s**thole.”

Ford, who was known to have been controlling and aggressive in her past interactions with Steven, moved to Margate with her children while he remained in Charing. Her life had spiraled into despair following the breakup and her return from Qatar. Court reports described her as a materialistic individual who resented losing her previously comfortable lifestyle.

In the aftermath of the murders, Ford’s mental health was a central concern. She told police in a hysterical state, “Just let me die. I’ve killed my babies. I have had a breakdown. I would never hurt them…they are my miracle babies. It’s all a dream.”

Steven Ford, in a victim impact statement read during an earlier hearing, expressed his anguish, stating that he believed their children would have been “terrified, confused and that they suffered” during their deaths. He described the act as “the most heinous, spiteful act on two innocent children,” and believed that Ford’s actions were motivated by a desire to punish him and to end her own life.

Further details revealed that Ford murdered her twins approximately 30 minutes after reassuring her parents that the children were safe with her. The court heard that she dressed, dried, and placed the children back in their beds after killing them, with their bodies facing away from each other towards the wall. Her actions demonstrated a disturbing level of premeditation and emotional turmoil.

Today, Ford was found guilty of two counts of manslaughter by diminished responsibility and was sentenced to 10 years in a psychiatric unit. Her sentence will be served in a mental health facility until she is deemed fit to transfer to a prison environment, reflecting the court’s recognition of her mental health struggles at the time of the crimes.