Carol Hodgson: Mum sentenced to life for murdering Daniel Green

Judge Paul Watson QC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, told the 40-year-old that she would serve at least 18 years in custody before being considered for release for the callous, premeditated murder of her two-year-old son.

Daniel James Hodgson Green was found unconscious in his Guisborough home when paramedics were called in February this year.

Despite the frantic efforts of paramedics they were unable to save his life.

Daniel James Hodgson Green

Passing sentence at Teesside Crown Court, the judge said: “At about 10 am on Wednesday, February 2, a call was made to the emergency services as a result of which an ambulance was despatched to Upper Garth Gardens in Guisborough. When the crew arrived at the scene of the emergency, they found the front door open. There did not appear to be anyone downstairs and so the paramedics went upstairs.

“When they entered the bedroom, they found it in darkness and you were lying on the bed. Your mother Christine was performing chest compressions.

“One of the paramedics then noticed a child lying on the bed. It was your two-year-old son, Daniel. When they picked him up, he was floppy and lifeless.

“Efforts were made to try and revive him but they were hopeless. He was already dead. He had been suffocated by you in what you now accept was a deliberate act intended to kill.

“You were seen to have a large wound and a number of smaller wounds to your neck and there was a substantial amount of blood on the bedding. In addition, there was a clear plastic vacuum storage bag on the bed next to your head. It was the murder weapon.

Read more: Dad's heartbreak after Daniel Green, 2, murdered by the 'mum from hell'

“You were taken to hospital in an ambulance. Despite the fact that you were able to clearly give your own name and your son’s name, when asked questions in relation to what had happened that morning or what had happened to Daniel, you remained silent saying only that you wanted to die.

“On February 4, whilst you were in hospital you were arrested on the suspicion of the murder of Daniel. You said: ‘I don’t remember. He was my son’.

“Your mother told police that on that day you had been due to attend court proceedings in which Daniel’s father had made an application to increase his contact with Daniel. She had walked round to Upper Garth Gardens and let herself in. She had found a note in the hallway which read, ‘Just ring the police Mam, don’t go into the bedroom, you don’t need to see it. I love you and I am so sorry’.

“There was another similar note stuck to the bedroom door. Other notes were recovered in which, among other things you said that the only way for you to protect Daniel was to ‘take him with you’ and which, taken together show that you had it in mind that you would kill your son and take your own life.

“There is no doubt but that this was a premeditated killing which had been planned by you in advance. You deliberately killed Daniel and then made a determined attempt to kill yourself which was prevented by the arrival of your mother.

“Daniel was examined by a forensic pathologist, Dr Louise Mulcahy who found the cause of Daniel’s death, whilst strictly unascertained, was in keeping with asphyxia caused by the application of a plastic bag. DNA from both Daniel and yourself was found within the bag. You must have put the bag over his head and held it there until you were satisfied that you had killed him.

“When interviewed under caution you denied killing Daniel saying that you remembered taking tablets and wanting to kill yourself but she did not want to harm Daniel. You said you could remember nothing after taking the tablets and that said that your plan was to kill only yourself.

“You claimed that you had no idea what had happened to your son. You told the police that you had written the notes but that it was not your intention to kill Daniel. By your plea you now accept not only that you had killed him but that it had been your intention to do so.

“Mr Green read out his Victim Personal statement. It was heart-rending to listen to. I can’t begin to imagine the pain and anguish which you have caused him or to others who loved and cherished Daniel.

“Nothing I do or say this morning can compensate for the loss of his son. Daniel was the centre of his world and you have taken him away for ever.

“You have never really offered an explanation as to why you did that. There is no evidence that it happened at a time when the balance of your mind was disturbed.

Read more: Evil killer left chilling note for her mother after suffocating two-year-old son

“It was not something that you did in the heat or anguish of a moment. It was not an act of mercy. It was a horrifying and truly awful crime. The fact that you genuinely intended to take your own life as well, which I accept to be true, offers no mitigation for the taking of Daniel’s.

“I have read the various references and the letter from yourself and accept that your actions that day were out of character. I accept that your remorse is genuine, although given the level of premeditation in this case it seems to me that your remorse now carries only marginal weight.

“There is but one sentence for murder which is mandatory life imprisonment. I am required to determine the minimum term to be served before you are eligible to be considered for release by the Parole Board.

“I emphasise that the assessment I am required to make is not a determination of when you will be released but of the minimum term before you can be considered for release. Whether you are released then will be a matter for the Parole Board. It may be very much longer before you are actually released. Even then, you will remain on licence for the rest of your life.”

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