SAMIRA LUPIDI SHOCKS HECKMONDWIKE WITH BRUTAL MURDER OF TWO DAUGHTERS IN BRADFORD REFUGE

In a tragic and devastating case that has shocked the community of Heckmondwike and the wider West Yorkshire area, Samira Lupidi, a 24-year-old mother, was convicted of the brutal murder of her two young daughters. The heinous crime took place in a women’s refuge, where Lupidi had sought shelter following a series of distressing events at her home.

Today, Lupidi was sentenced to life imprisonment at Bradford Crown Court, with a minimum term of 24 years before she could be considered for parole. The court heard harrowing details of the murders, which involved her stabbing her daughters, Jasmine Weaver, aged 17 months, and Evelyn Lupidi, aged three, in their beds. The judge, Mr. Justice Edis, described the victims as “both as vulnerable as anyone can be,” emphasizing the tragic innocence of the children caught in their mother’s violent rage.

During the sentencing, the judge acknowledged that Lupidi was suffering from a depressive disorder at the time of the killings, which occurred during a period of intense emotional turmoil. Despite this, the court found that she was aware of her actions when she repeatedly stabbed her daughters in the chest as they struggled to escape. After the murders, Lupidi ran out of the room, visibly distressed, shouting that she had “killed the children.”

Following a week-long trial, a jury of six men and six women deliberated for just 90 minutes before returning a verdict of guilty on both counts of murder. Although Lupidi initially pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, she denied the murder charges, claiming she was overwhelmed by her mental health issues. However, the jury rejected her defense, concluding that she was fully aware of her actions during the killings.

At the time of her conviction, Lupidi was dressed in a grey jacket and white shirt, visibly emotional as she wept into tissues. She was comforted by a security guard as the verdicts were read out with audible reactions from the public gallery, where some spectators shouted “yes” in response to the guilty verdicts.

The court heard that the tragic events unfolded after Lupidi and her daughters had been in a refuge following a distressing incident at their home in Heckmondwike. Lupidi had contacted police, claiming that her partner, Carl Weaver, 31, had assaulted her the night before, slapping her twice and causing her to fear for her life. The following day, staff at the refuge found Lupidi fleeing from her allocated flat, shouting that she had “killed the children.”

Both girls were discovered on their beds, each bearing nine stab wounds to the chest. Blood was smeared on Lupidi’s hands as she ran from the scene, her words echoing her remorse and distress: “I killed them, I hurt them.” Witnesses testified that she also said, “If I can’t have them, he can’t have them either,” referring to her partner, Carl Weaver, with whom she shared a home on Church Lane, Heckmondwike.

During the trial, evidence revealed that Lupidi admitted to killing her daughters but claimed her actions were influenced by her mental health struggles, including depression and paranoia. The prosecution, however, argued that she was fully aware of her conduct when she suffocated and stabbed her children during a violent episode. The court was told that she had blood on her hands and that Jasmine, the older girl, had been crying in a way that indicated she was aware of her sister’s suffering during the attack.

Judge Edis described the killings as a “spasm of violence” triggered by a weekend of intense arguments with her partner. The judge explained that Lupidi had developed a delusional belief that her life was in danger and that she would be abandoned, which contributed to her violent outburst. The court noted her isolation, describing her as friendless and alone in a foreign country, perceiving her partner’s family as “the enemy.”

He further stated that Lupidi’s reaction was driven by rage and a desire for revenge, and he sentenced her on the basis that she killed her children in anger. The judge highlighted that even a week after the murders, Lupidi expressed concern for her partner’s suffering, indicating the complex and disturbed state of her mind.

In his remarks, the judge detailed the sequence of events, noting that Lupidi first killed Evelyn and then Jasmine. He described how Jasmine’s crying during her sister’s murder was particularly traumatic and how the manner of her death has left a lasting impact on her father, Carl Weaver. Despite the tragic nature of the case, the judge acknowledged that Lupidi had loved her children and had been a caring mother prior to her breakdown.

The court also heard about Lupidi’s troubled upbringing, marked by violence and abuse at the hands of her alcoholic mother, Marietta. Jurors were told that her mother had once attempted to kill her and her brothers by opening a gas pipe, illustrating a history of severe familial dysfunction. Lupidi’s relationship with her own family and her mental health issues were considered relevant factors in understanding her actions.

Throughout the trial, it was revealed that Lupidi harbored fears that her partner, Carl Weaver, was plotting her death and intended to take the children away from her. She falsely accused Weaver of domestic violence, and her paranoia was a significant aspect of her mental state. Weaver, who met Lupidi online while working in Italy before Evelyn’s birth, described her as a “wonderful mother” who coped well with Evelyn’s autism, despite her own struggles with jealousy and suspicion.

In conclusion, the court’s verdict and sentence reflect the tragic complexity of this case—a mother overwhelmed by mental health issues who ultimately committed an unthinkable act of violence against her own children, leaving a community in mourning and a family shattered forever.