母亲被控谋杀亲生孩子

It was on Wednesday that police made their horrifying discovery of the bodies of three-year-old Harry and two-year-old Elise Donnison, having smashed and opened the boot of silver Nissan, parked near their former family home in Heathfield, East Sussex. The children were wrapped in bin liners inside a holdall. A preliminary post-mortem indicated that toddlers died of asphyxiation.Their mother, 43-year-old Fionna Donnison was charged with their murders in the earlier hours of this morning.

As Fionna Donnison entered the dock of Court NO.1 at Lewes Magistrates' Court, some of half dozen or so of her family members who’d come to watch proceedings became very upset, some of them started wailing. She stood in the dock shaking violently, wide-eyed, as her details were read to court. And as the two counts of murder were put on the record, she bowed her head. At the end of brief hearing as she left the dock, she didn’t make much eye contact with her family members, but they shouted out, “we love you Fionna, we love you Fi.” And as the door closed behind her, they were left sitting in court sobbing inconsolably.

In a statement, her estranged husband, the children’s father Paul Donnison spoke of his grief.

 “Harry and Elise were the lights that shone the brightest in my life and I’m unable to begin to comprehend why this has happened to them.”  He went on, “every day I thought them were precious and wonderful, but I have no idea just how precious.”

Fionna Donnison has been remanded in custody until 20th Feb., when she appears at Lewes Crown Court.

Ursula Errington Sky News, Lewes, East Sussex.