In what will come across as a really shocking development, a woman has been said to have drowned her own daughter and burned her body.
A mum is accused of deliberately drowning her daughter in the bath at home before setting fire to her garden, a court heard.
Carly Ann Harris, 38, allegedly told cops who found the four-year-old’s charred body on a coffee table “angels told me to do it”.
Little Amelia Brooke Harris died at the family home in Trealaw, Tonypandy on June 8.
The jury was told neighbour Megan Griffiths heard a raised voice saying “mummy, mummy, mummy” that day.
She and her partner then heard screaming outside and found Harris standing in the front garden.
She allegedly told them: “God will be with her. The angels have taken her.”
Opening the case for the Crown, Michael Jones QC, prosecuting, told the jury: “This defendant, Carly Ann Harris, killed her four-year-old daughter Amelia by placing her in a bath of water and deliberately drowning her at their home address.
“The defendant then took Amelia’s dead body out of the bath, covered her with a sheet, carried her downstairs and placed her body on a coffee table that was situated in the back garden, and then set fire to Amelia’s body.”
After Harris was taken to the police station she allegedly said: “I deserve to die. What the f***? My little girl. The angels said it must be done.”
The court heard she also said: “I’m a monster.”
Amelia died at home in Wales on June 8
She told police she had been having “visions of angels” and was required to “sacrifice her daughter in order to prove my faith”.
The court heard Harris described herself as a “a fallen angel and had to prove her strength” and that Amelia would have to be “cold-washed and burned”.
Amelia’s body had been “taken out of the bath, wrapped in toilet paper and carried outside covered in a sheet”.
She said she had taken amphetamine to make her “more aware” and “opened her third eye”.
Amelia was wearing a flowery jumpsuit and eating sweets when her mother told her: “You’re going to see the angels. See you in heaven.”
One juror was excused ten minutes into the trial because she could not bear to hear the gruesome details of how Amelia died.
Mr Jones told jurors Harris had been shopping with pal Nicky Jones and Amelia earlier that day.
She said Harris “appeared to be the happiest” she had seen her for some time.
Miss Jones called Harris around 7.30pm to ask if Amelia wanted to go to a play centre the following day, to which Harris replied: “We can’t tomorrow because I haven’t got Amelia.
“She’s gone to heaven. She’s safe now.”
Harris then told her friend: “I’m only messing.”
Harris pictured at an earlier court hearing – her trial has begun this week
The court heard how a family member said she had “not been well” for some six weeks before the incident.
Mr Jones said the family member described how Harris had been suffering from anxiety and believed she and their family were being stalked.
Mr Jones said: “He described how she had suffered with anxiety.”
Mr Jones told the jury: “Although this is obviously a harrowing and tragic case, it is important you put any emotions aside as you listen to this case.
“There is no dispute as to what Harris did that day. The evidence that you hear is not in dispute.
“You will hear psychiatric evidence to the profound and overwhelming mental health issues that affect and continue to affect Harris.”
Harris denied murder and manslaughter at Newport Crown Court.
The judge told the the jury they must decide if she is not guilty of murder by reason of insanity or guilty of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.
Harris, of Tonypandy, Rhondda, sobbed during the opening of the trial and had to be given a glass of water.
The trial continues.
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Source: The Sun UK