Mum who murdered her two young sons in bath jailed for life

A mother who murdered her two young sons has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Kara Alexander, 47, of Cornwallis Road, Dagenham, east London, was found guilty of murdering Elijah Thomas, two, and Marley Thomas, five, in the bath at their home in Cornwallis Road in December 2022. At Kingston Crown Court on Friday, Mr Justice Bennathan sentenced Alexander to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years and 252 days. Post-mortems showed that the boys had either been drowned or suffocated. However, Alexander claimed they "accidentally" drowned after she put them in the bath. The jury previously heard how the children's father, Selvin Thomas, had been due to collect them that weekend. When he received no responses to his messages and calls, he grew increasingly concerned.

When he arrived at their home, Alexander told him the boys were sleeping upstairs. They were then found together in the lower bunk of their shared bed dressed in pyjamas.

As Mr Thomas ran downstairs for help, Alexander fled the scene through neighbouring gardens. She was found by police around an hour later before being arrested.

She claimed she had fallen asleep while the boys drowned in the bath. However, prosecutors argued that this was highly improbable due to their ages and that the only reasonable explanation was that Alexander was involved in their deaths.

Investigating police officers said forensic analysis of Alexander's phone, which had been found in a filled sink, showed it had been used regularly before the murders. However, no calls were made or messages sent on the day the children were found dead, leading officers to believe Alexander was avoiding people.

The judge said there was every sign Alexander was a "caring and affectionate" mother to both children before their deaths. He added she "never shouted or raised her voice at the boys" and "never showed violence to the boys".

Mr Justice Bennathan said Alexander was in a psychotic state when she killed her sons due to her cannabis use. She previously had a psychotic episode in 2016.

He warned: "The heavy use of skunk or other hyper-strong strains of cannabis can plunge people into a mental health crisis in which they may harm themselves or others. If any drug user does not know that, it's about time they did.

"At your trial, Kara Alexander, the three psychiatrists who gave evidence disagreed about a number of things, but on that they were unanimous.

"It will comfort nobody connected to this case, but if these events bring home that message to even a few people, some slight good may come from what is otherwise an unmitigated tragedy."

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Waller of the Metropolitan Police, who led the investigation, said: "This is an incredibly tragic case, which has left a father without his two beloved boys and a family without two young brothers. Kara Alexander will spend the next two decades behind bars, where the memory of what she has done will haunt her forever.

"To the family and friends of Elijah and Marley, while no amount of time will erase the pain of such a loss, I hope this sentence serves to bring some semblance of justice.

"I hope you can now move on with your life, remembering the boys as you knew them, and treasuring the happy times you spent with them."

Samantha Yelland, of the Crown Prosecution Service, previously said: "Our thoughts remain with Elijah and Marley's family and friends who have been completely devastated by their loss.

"It is unimaginable to think what those poor children went through in their final moments. It is a parent's job to keep their children safe, and Kara Alexander not only failed to do that but robbed them of their lives.

"I hope today's verdict will provide the family with some closure, knowing that Alexander has been held accountable for their murders."