A mother sobbed in the dock today as she admitted killing her three disabled children while her husband, their father, was with their fourth daughter in South Africa visiting family.
Tania Clarence wept as she pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Olivia, four, and three-year-old twins Ben and Max by diminished responsibility.
The 42-year-old of New Malden, south-west London, denied murder and was barely audible as she entered her plea at the Old Bailey.
The bodies of the children were discovered by police in the family's £2milliom five-bedroom home in the wealthy south-west London suburb at 9.30pm on April 22.
All three were in their pyjamas in bed and are believed to have been smothered to death.
They all suffered from type 2 spinal muscular atrophy, also known as floppy baby syndrome, which is a genetic condition that leaves children with little control of their movements and can drastically shorten life expectancy.
Clarence was said to have been pregnant with the twins when the family discovered that Olivia had the life–limiting genetic condition.
The couple moved to New Malden last year and spent about £1million adapting their home to cater for their disabled children, fitting a lift and ramps, while Clarence gave up her job as a graphic designer to care for them.
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