On the morning of Wednesday, 27th January 2010, 45 year old mother of four Fiona Donnison walked into a police station in Heathfield, East Sussex. She was distressed, had what appeared to be self inflicted wounds and was making little sense. But then, she shocked police by telling them that she had killed her two small children, Harry (3) and Elise (2).

They were found soon after in the boot of her car, parked around the corner from the home that she had once shared with her children and her ex-partner, Paul.

In this episode, we tell the story of Fiona Donnison, and explore the reasons why some mothers turn murderous. What was Fiona’s excuse?

Theme Music:

Quinn’s Song: First Dance by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Sources:

“Fiona Donnison trial: Murder accused mum ‘calm’ before her children were killed” in The Mirror https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/fiona-donnison-trial-murder-accused-142411 (19 July 2011)

Tom Wells, “My lovely kids… by mum who murdered two of them days later” in The Sunhttps://www.thesun.co.uk/archives/news/709914/my-lovely-kids-by-mum-who-murdered-two-of-them-days-later/ (10 August 2011)

“Accused mother ‘blew hot and cold’ in The Oxford Mailhttp://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/national/9137505.print/ (13 July 2011)

Fred Attewell “Fiona Donnison jailed for 32 years for killing her children to punish ex” in The Metro UKhttps://metro.co.uk/2011/08/09/fiona-donnison-jailed-for-32-years-for-killing-her-children-to-punish-ex-109455/ (9 August 2011)

Cathy Gordon, “Killer mother appeals sentence for murdering Harry (3) and Elise (2)” in The Irish Independenthttps://www.independent.ie/life/family/mothers-babies/killer-mother-appeals-sentence-for-murdering-harry-3-and-elise-2-26856033.html (22 May 2012)

“Children in boot asphyxiated” in The Belfast Telegraphhttps://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/children-in-boot-asphyxiated-28514454.html (29 January 2010)

Daily Star Reporter, “Child killing trial postponed” in The Daily Starhttps://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/179214/Child-killing-trial-postponed (2 March 2011)

“Former City worker faces questions over murdered children” in The Evening Standardhttps://www.standard.co.uk/news/former-city-worker-faces-questions-over-murdered-children-6703340.html (28 January 2010)

“Donnison: children were used as ‘ultimate pawns’ for revenge” in The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/donnison-children-were-used-as-ultimate-pawns-for-revenge-sqjmjq095t2?t=ie (12 July 2011)

Monica Bennett, “Parents who kill their children” in Criminal.Media https://criminal.media/parents-who-kill-their-children(undated)

Emily Andrews, “Woman who smothered two toddlers in jealous rage may have killed her baby girl years earlier” (publisher un-credited) from http://murderpedia.org/female.D/d/donnison-fiona.htm ( 10 August 2011)

Emily Andrews “Wife watched me put children to bed ‘with look of absolute hatred and evil on her face’, father tells murder trial” in The Daily Mail from http://murderpedia.org/female.D/d/donnison-fiona.htm (14 July 2011)

Emily Andrews, “If he’s sleeping with you he will never see the kids: ‘Killer mother’s threat to partner’s lover” in The Daily Mail from http://murderpedia.org/female.D/d/donnison-fiona.htm (13 July 2011)

Rebecca Camber and James Mills, “’We love you, Fiona’ : Relatives of smothered toddlers’ mother call out in court as she is charged with their murder” in Daily Mail from http://murderpedia.org/female.D/d/donnison-fiona.htm (29 January 2010)

Anthony France, Tomm Wells, et al “Killer mum ‘ gave kids her sedative’” in The Sun from http://murderpedia.org/female.D/d/donnison-fiona.htm (29 January 2010)

Adam John, “The Evil mother formerly from sussexwho suffocated her children to death and handed herself into police” in Kent Live Newshttps://www.kentlive.news/news/sussex-news/evil-mother-formerly-sussex-who-686343 (29 October 2017)

“Fiona Donnison children murders ‘not predictable’” in BBC News.comhttps://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-24922651 and https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england-sussex-24934128/fiona-donnison-child-murders-not-predictable(13 November 2013)

“Fiona Donnison’s online tribute to cot death baby Mia” in The Telegraphhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/7097409/Fiona-Donnisons-online-tribute-to-cot-death-baby-Mia.html (29 January 2010)

“Father warned his wife was a ‘danger’ to their two children before they were found dead” in The Telegraphhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/7097256/Father-warned-his-wife-was-a-danger-to-their-two-children-before-they-were-found-dead.html (29 January 2010)

“Murder accuses mother Fiona Donnison ‘not malingering’” in BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14294748 (26 July 2011)

“Child-murders mother Fiona Donnison jailed for life” in BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14459954 (9 August 2011)

Alexander Baron, “Op-Ed: Evil mother Fiona Donnison jailed for 32 years for killing kids” in Digital Journalhttp://www.digitaljournal.com/article/310163 (10 August 2011)

Jim Goad, “19 Moms who killed their kids” in Thought Cataloguehttps://thoughtcatalog.com/jim-goad/2014/04/19-moms-who-killed-their-kids/ (15 April 2014)

“Postpartum Psychosis: Severe mental illness after childbirth” from The Royal College of Psychiatrist at https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/healthadvice/problemsanddisorders/postpartumpsychosis.aspx

Postpartum Psychosis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postpartum_psychosis

Insanity Defence in UK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insanity_in_English_law

Narcissistic Personality Disorder: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder

Andrea Yates: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Yates

Diane Downs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_Downs