A 13-year-old girl on trial for murder was not suffering from depression when she allegedly stabbed a woman 143 times, a court has heard.
The Fatal Attack in Wellingborough
The jury at Lincoln Crown Court was told the teenager carried out the fatal attack on Marta Bednarczyk, 43, at a terraced house in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, in March this year.
The defendant, who cannot be named due to her age, admits she unlawfully killed Ms Bednarczyk but has pleaded not guilty to murder. Her defence claims diminished responsibility.
Psychiatric Evidence Contradicts Defence
Giving evidence on Tuesday, Dr Tina Irani, a consultant forensic psychiatrist, stated that in her professional opinion, the girl was not suffering from any recognised mental health issues at the time of the killing.
Asked why she did not believe the defendant had depression, Dr Irani told the court: 'There wasn't information to corroborate that.' She added that the psychiatric team who assessed the girl after the killing did not identify symptoms meeting the criteria for depression.
Dr Irani further explained that someone with severe depression would typically have a minimal ability to speak and could appear withdrawn.
Prosecution Alleges Premeditation
The Crown alleges that the teenager planned the fatal stabbing, using more than one knife, and subsequently attempted to blame a third party.
At the start of the trial last week, prosecution KC Samuel Skinner claimed it was 'the sad truth' that the motive behind the killing may never be known, asserting that it was unrelated to the girl's mental health.
Jurors were also presented with an agreed facts document on Tuesday, which included evidence accepted by both the defence and prosecution. This contained details of the defendant's WhatsApp messages and internet searches.
The court heard these included Google searches for: 'How do I know if I've got a mental illness?'; 'What age can you go to jail UK'; and 'What happens when a 13-year-old murders?'.
Before the death of Ms Bednarczyk, the teenager had also searched online for a forum featuring images of murder, torture, and executions.
Psychiatric evidence in the trial, which is sitting at Lincoln Magistrates' Court, is set to continue.
