[Tony Montana]

A woman who drowned her toddler twins in the bath out of anger at her estranged husband has been jailed for 10 years.

Samantha Ford killed her children Jake and Chloe on Boxing Day last year, a few months after her split from their father, Steven Ford. She then drove her Ford Galaxy at about 100mph into the back of a lorry while not wearing a seatbelt, in the early hours of 27 December.

When police managed to open the doors of her vehicle, she told them: “I’ve killed my babies. Please let me die. I put them in the bath. We were meant to be together. I was going to jump off a cliff but it’s too dark.”

Police found the 23-month-old children dead in their bedroom at her home in Margate, Kent. Ford denied murder but admitted two counts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility at a hearing in May.

Mr Justice Edis sentenced Ford to 10 years, to be served in a psychiatric unit until she is well enough to be transferred to prison.

He told the defendant: “The horror of what happened does not need any explanation by me. Anyone with any imagination can envisage for themselves what must have happened in that bathroom. It is unlikely that they died simultaneously and it must have taken some time and required some determination.

“Your anger with your husband was a significant contributory factor. In deciding to kill your children and yourself, I am sure that you had thoughts of the effect this would have on Steven Ford, with whom all the psychiatrists say you were preoccupied. You knew it would devastate him and I’m sure that is a reason why you did it.”

Earlier, the prosecutor Tom Kark QC said the couple had lived in Qatar for the first 10 years of their marriage, and their relationship deteriorated after they left their affluent lifestyle and moved to Charing in Kent in 2018.

Before their split, Ford told her husband: “You have ripped my world apart, now we are nothing but a miserable, broken family growing up in a ****hole.”

Relatives said Ford’s mental health declined rapidly after the separation and she sent multiple text messages to her estranged husband trying to persuade him to return to her, the court heard. Ford, who was said to have been “controlling and aggressive” towards her husband in the past, pleaded with him, saying: “I’m not a monster.”

She and the children moved to Margate while Steven Ford remained in Charing.

Brenda Campbell QC, defending, said there were 76 communications between Samantha Ford and mental health services in the weeks before the killings.

By Christmas Ford’s family decided that her mental health was so poor that the children’s father should take them and bring them back on Boxing Day, the court heard. Ford drowned them later that evening after her parents had left the house.

Dr Philip Joseph, a psychiatrist, told the court Ford had feelings of anger and betrayal towards her estranged husband and wanted revenge when she killed their children. He found her mental function was impaired because of moderate depressive illness.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...ailed-10-years

Her sentence is a joke. She should've got life.

[Alf]

A man would have got longer than 10 years for that, and rightly so.

She should be serving 2 life sentances.

[thesheriff443]

She should be hung slowly Evil bitch.

[Saph]

"I was going to jump off a cliff but it’s too dark."

mess

[DouglasS]

Why has she been given such a short sentence? The sexism in the criminal justice system is completely ridiculous and unfair - she’s Murdered two toddlers to get back at the father of the children, disgusting

[Kate!]

Should have been life.

[Kazanne]

Originally Posted by Tony Montana

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...ailed-10-years

Her sentence is a joke. She should've got life.

Disgustingly lenient sentence, she should have got life and life meaning life ,not 30 years, horrible excuse for a mother.

[Barry.]

Sick thing to do. Only 10 years? Disgusting.

[Niamh.]

That's 5 years for each murder? Ridiculous

[Kizzy]

Poor children shame their dad returned them. She obv didn't intend to kill herself so yeah some rational thought in play there.
Let's see what happens inside.

[Cal.]

Absolutely tragic.

She was clearly pissed at the dad and resented her children after they had to return to the Uk and she wasn’t living the lifestyle she’d been accustomed to. She’s a disgrace and so is the sentence.

[hijaxers]

Shocking is the only word for her sentencing ! should have been 20 years min , i would throw the key away.

[UserSince2005]

Daft bitch. and same goes for the judge. Hopefully the inmates make her next 10 years hell

[Amy Jade]

Is that all? An innocent childs life worth 5 years?

Selfish cow also drove into a lorry endangering other drivers because it was a bit too dark to jump off a cliff and end her miserable life?

[Marsh.]

“I’ve killed my babies. Please let me die. I put them in the bath. We were meant to be together. I was going to jump off a cliff but it’s too dark.”

Psychotic bitch.

[Ammi]

... ‘It is unlikely that they died simultaneously and it must have taken some time and required some determination.’...


...to have held one of her children down while they gasped for breath...but then to have done it again a second time...it’s just inconceivable ...

[Strictly Jake]

I can't read this. It makes me too upset. I have a child of 4 and a child of 2 and I adore them with all my heart. In fact bathtimes are always a really fun time in our house. So just to read the part where she couldn't have done it simultaneously just produces images in my mind that make me want to be sick. This woman clearly has mental problems but to do it to take revenge on your ex husband? No matter what someone does should not take away how special your children should be to you

She gets 10 years? That's absurd

[Tony Montana]

Originally Posted by UserSince2005

Daft bitch. and same goes for the judge. Hopefully the inmates make her next 10 years hell

[Gstar]

White people get away with everything

[Alf]

Originally Posted by Gstar

White people get away with everything

I wouldn't say it's a race thing, it maybe a class thing though. It would be interesting to know the class of this person. She lives in Margate is the only thing I know.

[Cal.]

Originally Posted by Alf

I wouldn't say it's a race thing, it maybe a class thing though. It would be interesting to know the class of this person. She lives in Margate is the only thing I know.

I read they were rich as a married couple but hit financial difficulty and returned to England after living abroad and she resented that and that ended their relationship.