Mother who killed her three children given indefinite hospital order

A mother who killed her three children has been sentenced to an indefinite hospital order as a court heard that mental health services have admitted failings in her care.

Yasmeen Ali, 44, fatally stabbed her children – Fares Bash, seven, Joury Bash, three, and nine-month-old Mohammed Bash – and tried to take her own life at the family’s home in Sea Mills, Bristol, in February 2024.

She was charged with murder but admitted three charges of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility during a hearing at Bristol Crown Court on Friday.

Mr Justice Linden sentenced Ali to an indefinite hospital order, after hearing psychiatric evidence that her offending was “almost entirely attributable to mental disorder”.

The judge said: “Yasmeen Ali, you pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of your three children in February 2024 by reason of diminished responsibility.

“For reasons which will become apparent, I am entirely satisfied that the prosecution are right to accept those pleas.

“It is now my sad duty to sentence you for those offences, but before I do so, I would like to extend the court’s condolences to you and your husband Mr Bash.

“As the victim personal statement clearly demonstrates, what has happened is a tragedy from which neither of you will recover and which causes both of you unimaginable pain in your daily lives.”

The judge said he had received “thorough and detailed reports” from three highly experienced forensic psychiatrics about the case.

He had also read an independent report about Ali’s care and treatment by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, as well as a letter from its chief nursing officer.

This letter was “apologising for failings in the care you received and setting out the steps that have been and will be taken by the trust”, the judge said.

The court heard Ali was born in Sudan and lived mainly with her grandparents as a child before studying law and accountancy.

She worked as a dental nurse until the age of 29, when her marriage to Alfil Bash – who lived in the UK – was arranged by her family.

They married in Egypt and she returned to Sudan, where she gave birth to the couple’s first child, Fares, before moving to join Mr Bash in England in 2018.

The couple had two other children but their relationship became strained during her third pregnancy and Ali told family members she wanted to leave.

Mr Justice Linden said Ali had come to the UK on a spousal visa, meaning she had no recourse to public funds and her ability to remain in the UK depended on being married to Mr Bash.

The judge described how the couple argued about money, with Ali telling family her husband was spending on gambling and becoming “bad tempered when he had lost”.

In September 2023, the children’s primary school raised concerns to social services about possible domestic violence – with Ali reporting she had been attacked by her husband while breastfeeding.

Police were called to the family home in December 2023, where officers noted Ali hiding behind them and visibly shaking. Joury demonstrated how Mr Bash had put his hands around Ali’s throat, the court heard.

Mr Bash, who told police he did not want his wife or children at his home, was arrested and remanded into custody ahead of appearances at Bristol Crown Court.

“The effect of Mr Bash being remanded into custody was that you had no access to funds,” the judge told Ali.

“You were dependant on foodbanks and handouts.”

The judge said Ali received visits from members of the community, pressuring her to withdraw her complaint, and was “frightened” about her husband returning or being evicted from the home, which was in his name.

Concerns were raised over Ali’s mental health on 6 February, 2024 and she was visited at home by professionals over the following days.

An assessment under the Mental Health Act – to establish whether Ali required inpatient treatment – was requested.

“This assessment wasn’t progressed at that stage owing to the lack of any available hospital bed in the event you needed to be detained,” the judge said.

The assessment was cancelled on 9 February, after Ali appeared “a great deal better” to medical staff and told them she was “back to her normal self”, the judge said.

However, a neighbour called 999 shortly after midnight on 18 February with concerns over Ali’s welfare and her children.

Police attended the property and could hear “screaming and chanting”, with Ali discovered partially clothed with self-inflicted stab wounds to her throat and stomach.

Her three children, who had suffered “terrible injuries”, were discovered deceased on her bed, the judge said.

“They are clearly consistent with you being in a psychotic state when you inflicted them,” he added.

Ali was taken to Southmead Hospital, where she underwent surgery, and was discharged to a psychiatric hospital more than two weeks later.

She told a nurse she had received messages to kill her children at midnight “but no-one died and I asked Allah for forgiveness”, the court heard.

Mr Justice Linden said Ali, who was initially unaware she had harmed her children, was diagnosed with a schizoaffective disorder.

“It is my view that you would not have done what you did if you had been well,” he told Ali.

“Your actions came as a total shock to those who knew you, and saw you on a regular basis. You were clearly a loving mother to your children and cared deeply for them.”

The judge said there were “deficiencies in the assessment of you by mental health services” due to the lack of an acute psychiatric bed at the time.

“For the rest of your existence, you will live with the knowledge of what you have done and the loss of your beloved children,” he told Ali.

“I am quite sure that you are heartbroken by what happened.”