I used to be a lovely mum, said tearful woman after stabbing her two daughters

A mother who stabbed her two young daughters to death told a police medical examiner 'I'm a lovely mum', a court heard.
Jasmine WeaverJasmine Weaver
Jasmine Weaver

Samira Lupidi, 24, told Dr Andrew Cobb that she wanted to hurt herself after killing 17-month-old Jasmine Weaver and three-year-old Evelyn Lupidi, a jury was told.

Italian Lupidi is on trial at Bradford Crown Court accused of murdering the two girls. She has pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility but denies the two counts of murder.

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Peter Moulson QC, prosecuting, told the jury that forensic medical examiner Dr Cobb assessed Lupidi at Bradford Police Station after the girls were found with stab wounds on November 17 last year.

Evelyn LupidiEvelyn Lupidi
Evelyn Lupidi

Reading Dr Cobb’s statement to the court, Mr Moulson said Lupidi told him “I’m a lovely mum” before adding “I used to be” and breaking down in tears.

Dr Cobb said Lupidi denied having any thoughts of self harm but said: “Today, yes. When I hurt them, I want to hurt myself as well.”

The trial has heard that Lupidi and the girls ended up in a women’s refuge after she called police to her home in Heckmondwike.

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She told officers that the girls’ father - her partner Carl Weaver, 31 - slapped her twice the night before and she was scared he was going to kill her, the court heard.

Samira Lupidi with one-year-old Jasmine Weaver (right) and three-year-old Evelyn Lupidi (left)Samira Lupidi with one-year-old Jasmine Weaver (right) and three-year-old Evelyn Lupidi (left)
Samira Lupidi with one-year-old Jasmine Weaver (right) and three-year-old Evelyn Lupidi (left)

The jury was told that, the following day, staff at the refuge found Lupidi running out of the flat she was allocated and shouting that she had “killed the children”.

Mr Moulson said Lupidi told Dr Cobb: “My boyfriend says I understand nothing, calling me crazy because I fight a lot with him.”

He said she added: “He watch me, very angry, slap me. I ask ‘why you want to do to me?’ I am alone in England, no-one can protect me.”

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Dr Cobb described the defendant as appearing “thin, tense, guarded and quietly desperate” when he assessed her. He said he did not judge her to be overtly mentally ill but said he believed she was depressed, the court heard.

Evelyn LupidiEvelyn Lupidi
Evelyn Lupidi

A statement from Lupidi’s Italian friend Bevisna Neziri was also read to the court.

Mr Moulson said Ms Neziri told police that Lupidi admitted she was “having problems” with Mr Weaver about a year before she killed her daughters.

The prosecutor said Lupidi told Ms Neziri that Mr Weaver was no longer attracted to her and was contacting other women. She told her friend he hassled her and threw objects at her, the court heard.

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Dr Kirsten Hope, a pathologist, told the court that both girls were found with nine stab wounds to the chest and multiple incision wounds.

Samira Lupidi with one-year-old Jasmine Weaver (right) and three-year-old Evelyn Lupidi (left)Samira Lupidi with one-year-old Jasmine Weaver (right) and three-year-old Evelyn Lupidi (left)
Samira Lupidi with one-year-old Jasmine Weaver (right) and three-year-old Evelyn Lupidi (left)

She said there was evidence of an attempt at smothering both girls but this had not contributed to their deaths.

Dr Hope told the jury that Evelyn had wounds that were a maximum of 11cm deep and had bruising and grazing to her neck, which was potentially caused by fingernails.

The pathologist said Jasmine had wounds with a maximum depth of 12.5cm.

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She told the court that both girls had a number of ribs that had been cut through and said at least moderate force would have been used to inflict the injuries.

The jury heard that a 33cm stainless steel kitchen knife with a 21cm blade was recovered from the scene. Mr Moulson told the jury the knife had “blood on it from the tip to the hilt”.

Lupidi did not appear in the dock to listen to the evidence on this morning.

Proceeding.

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