Mother killed boy with cup of bleach

Satpal Kaur Singh, 44, killed her son Ajit just hours after she refused to co-operate with council staff at a meeting over his care.

On the evening of February 9, she gave the cup of Domestos to the youngster and drank some herself an hour later. She then rang police to say: "I've just murdered my son and I've tried to kill myself."

Singh, of Lambourne Road, Barking, east London, denied murder but yesterday pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.

Prosecutors accepted the plea after psychiatrists assessed that she was suffering a mental disorder and she was remanded into custody for sentencing on December 13.

The Old Bailey heard that social workers at Barking and Dagenham Council had concerns about Singh in the months before and that morning she had attended a meeting with the local authority after it decided to apply for a care order.

Richard Whittam QC, prosecuting, said Ajit "was dependant on his mother for all his needs", could not speak so had trouble communicating and had difficulty getting around outdoors.

During the meeting with social workers, issues were raised about neglect and Singh's lack of involvement with officials but she refused a psychiatric assessment.

Singh also refused to allow parenting or paediatric assessments, saying she was "not mad", that she did not want herself or her child to be "labelled" and that social services would not take him away.

At 10.29pm, she rang 999 and when police arrived shortly afterwards they found the boy lying on his back on the living room sofa and an "almost overpowering" smell of bleach in the air.

A spokesman for Barking and Dagenham Council said there would be a serious case review, due for completion early next year.