Woman found responsible for children's stab wounds given hospital order

UPDATE 25/09/24:

A woman deemed responsible for the stab wounds found on two children at a flat in Friskney has been given a hospital order without limits.

Police officers entered an address in Fold Hill to find Ann Marie McEvoy with a knife and two children with multiple injuries to their bodies back in November 2022.

Jurors at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court heard the sequence of events which led to arrest at a trial of facts earlier this year in June.

Officials had previously concluded that McEvoy, 41, of Church Walk in Colchester, was not competent to participate in criminal proceedings.

The facts of the incident and McEvoy's responsibility were agreed, with sentencing to take place at a later date.

Today, Wednesday, 25 September, she was sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court.

Judge Simon Hirst made a Section 37 Hospital Order with a special Section 41 restriction which means McEvoy can be detained in a mental hospital until doctors believe she is safe to be released.

Full details of the trial of facts can be found below.

 

ORIGINAL HEADLINE: Trial of facts jury finds woman responsible for children's stab wounds

A woman is responsible for the stab wounds found on two children at flat in Friskney, jurors have agreed at a trial of facts hearing today.

Police officers entered the address in Fold Hill to find Ann Marie McEvoy with a knife and two children with multiple injuries to their bodies, Lincoln Magistrates’ Court heard.

The discovery came after a lengthy stand-off involving McEvoy and teams from Lincolnshire Police, which was detailed in a two-day trial of the facts held on Monday and Tuesday this week.

Jurors heard that on 29 November 2022, Lincolnshire Police was contacted by Essex Police to conduct a welfare check on a woman and two children at the property.

The court was told that when officers arrived, they were refused entry and concerns grew for the children inside.

An officer put his leg in the door in an attempt to enter the address, which then saw Ms McEvoy produce a large kitchen knife, the jury was told.

Due to the danger this presented to attending officers as well as concerns for the children at the address, negotiators and armed response officers were called to the scene, the court heard.

Jurors were told officers spent multiple hours negotiating with Ms McEvoy before entering the property.

Inside they found Ms McEvoy with a knife and two children with multiple stab wounds to their bodies.

The court heard that officers then tasered Ms McEvoy and carried out emergency first aid to the children to ensure their safety.

McEvoy was arrested, interviewed, and remanded into custody.

The jury has now accepted the facts of the incident following the hearing at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court.

Officials had previously concluded that the defendant was not competent to participate in criminal proceedings.

This week’s hearing was to determine whether the defendant had been responsible for the GBH committed on the two children.

The jury decides if the defendant committed the alleged offences, but their verdicts cannot result in criminal convictions.

Should McEvoy be found to have made a sufficient recovery to participate in a criminal trial at a future date, it will be possible for criminal proceedings to recommence.

Following the incident, Lincolnshire Police referred itself the Independent Office for Police Conduct as is standard procedure in a case of this nature.

The independent complaints watchdog found that the force had handled the incident correctly and attributed no blame to the organisation.

Rachael Cox, DCI at Lincolnshire Police, said: “This is a deeply upsetting incident which will have a long-term impact on those children involved and their family.

“Our thoughts are with them, and we will continue to offer whatever support we can to help them navigate the long road ahead to recovery.

“We would also like to extend our gratitude to the family for their cooperation and colleagues across Lincolnshire for their bravery, hard work, and dedication to this case.

“Without them, we wouldn’t be here today. The family wish for privacy following this court hearing.

“The community is at the heart of everything we do, and the long-term health and safety of the children involved in this case is our top priority.”