Man admits killing his children during lockdown

Three-year-old boy and 19-month-old girl were killed at family home in April

Pavinya Nithiyakumar, aged 19 months, Nigish Nithiyakumar, aged three, who were both found suffering from stab wounds at their home address in Aldborough Road (PA)

A father has admitted to the killing of his two young children with a knife during lockdown.

Nadarajah Nithiyakumar, 41 confessed to having attacked his daughter Pavinya, aged 19 months, and three-year-old son Nigash at the family home in Aldborough Road North, Ilford, east London, on 26 April when apprehended by police.

His daughter was pronounced dead at the scene, while his son was rushed to hospital in Whitechapel before succumbing to his injuries.

The children’s mother, named locally as Nisa, was in the shower at the time of the killings and alerted police.

He has since pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter by diminished responsibility at the Old Bailey, which was accepted by the prosecution.

Nithiyakumar, a shop worker, was treated in hospital for knife wounds following the attack, but was charged with the murder of his children upon his discharge.

Confessing to his actions, he told the Metropolitan Police he had been was depressed and that customers had “upset him” before the incident.

A court had previously heard he had considered suicide, but believed it would “ruin the children’s lives and they would go off the rails”.

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