Woman killed baby daughter

A WOMAN who killed her five-month-old baby by throwing her into a raging river was yesterday ordered to be detained at Rampton top security hospital without limit of time.

Leeds Crown Court was told that Maxine Davis, 30, of Earl Shilton, Leicestershire, suffered from a psycopathic disorder. Judge Donald Herrod said: 'There can be no doubt that on the day you killed your baby you were deeply disturbed . . . you deserve sympathy and understanding.' Davis threw Tara Calnan into the River Nidd at Killinghall, North Yorkshire, in April last year. Heavy rain had turned it into a torrent and Tara's body was not found for 11 days.

In May this year Davis denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Sentence was adjourned for psychiatric reports to be prepared.

The court was told that

Davis killed her daughter after being unable to cope with the child's crying in the car while she was driving to Scotland.

She turned up the radio, smacked the child and put tissue in her mouth in an attempt to stop the noise before thowing her into the river.

She was arrested the following day after calling the child's father to confess. She told police: 'I feel so relieved. I just tossed her in the river and all my troubles went with her.'