Mother who strangled daughter in Covid lockdown gets five years

A mother and carer who strangled her five-year-old daughter at home during lockdown was jailed for five years.

Slovakian Martina Madarova, 41, was suffering from depression when she throttled Alijah Thomas at her  Ealing home on September 14 last year.

Aijah’s father David told the court in a written statement said Ms Madarova was ‘the most innocent person you could meet, she sees the good in everyone and everything.’

‘I am shocked by what has happened, this is just not her, she would do anything for Aliah.

‘She is not a bad person, she is the best mum.

‘There is no hatred towards her, this is a case of mental health. I still have feelings towards her, I’m concerned about her health in prison.

‘She was more than my partner, she is my best friend and my soulmate.’

Police were called to their home on Leyborne Avenue after ‘concerns’ were raised for the child’s welfare.

The London Ambulance Service also attended but rigor mortis had already set in, and Alijah pronounced dead at the scene.

Madarova’s wages from her job as a carer had been cut by 65 per cent during lockdown, the court heard.

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson QC said: ‘Friends spoke of her devotion to her daughter before the killing.’

Quoting a friend of Madarova’s, Mr Atkinson said: ‘Ms Madarova was very stressed about the pandemic and that she had missed the deadline for registering Aliah for school.

‘She was panicking that the authorities were going to take Aliah away.

‘She has been regularly crying, as she was not sure if she wanted to remain in the UK or return to Slovakia.’

Mr Atkinson said her friends and family had urged her to go to her GP, but Madarova’s ‘pride’ stopped her from seeking help.

Jennifer Dempster QC, for Madarova, said: The word “tragic” is used in this building from time to time, some might say it is overused. Not in this case.

‘Every single feature of this case is tragic from the start to the end, from the death of Aliah to the statement of David Thomas, which no one in this court could be failed to be moved by.

‘He should not feel any sense of responsibility for what has happened.

‘This is a defendant who was a devoted carer and loving mother to Aliah, and there are multiple pieces of evidence to support that.

‘She became rapidly overwhelmed by mental health issues she didn’t had no idea she had.

‘She will have to remain for the rest of her life knowing she is responsible for the death of her child, and there is nothing she can do about that.

‘She will remain, as she is now, overwhelmed with grief and overwhelmed with remorse.’

Madarova appeared in court wearing a grey and black sweatshirt, and wept in the dock throughout the hearing.

Family and friends watched from the well of the court.

Judge Richard Marks said: ‘You were suffering from a depressive episode with psychotic symptoms.

‘It is clear this is a disorder that was undiagnosed.

‘The tragedy is that many people close to you urged you to go to the doctor but you had failed to do so.

‘I know Mr Thomas is present and listening to this. It is easy to be wise after the event but his conduct throughout, in my judgement, is absolutely beyond reproach, and he has shown a great sense of compassion.

‘I am satisfied you had been an exemplary mother and had deep love for her.

‘You have to live with what you did for the rest of your life, and your remorse is totally genuine.

‘I express hope that you will be able to put these matters behind you in due course.

‘Can I express the most sincere condolences with Mr Thomas, and I am very impressed by the way he has treated these matters, nobody could behave in a better way.’

Madarova, of Leyborne Avenue, Ealing, west London, admitted and was sentenced for manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.

Ms Dempster said: ‘We submit this is one of those cases where full mercy in the interests of justice that can be shown, should be shown.’

Mr Atkinson said: ‘The defendant had worked as a carer for a close friend.

‘She hated violence, and did not allow Alijah to watch certain cartoons as there was violence in them.

‘The defendant was struggling with the decision to relocate to Slovakia with her daughter.

‘Mr Thomas said: ‘The week before the death, I took the week off to sort out the school place, it was clear she was not herself.

‘During our discussions she would just start crying and walk out of the room.

‘She was really concerned about how she would make ends meet.

‘On 14 September 2021, the defendant called David Thomas and told him Alijah was dead, and had died at 10 o’clock that morning.

‘She told him that she had strangled her daughter.’

Mr Thomas then called family and friends to check on Alijah and Madarova, as he was in Sutton and could not get there in time.

A friend saw Madarova lying on the sofa with her daughter’s lifeless body.

Madarova intended to commit suicide after killing Alijah, the court heard.

‘They were lying on the sofa, it was clear Alijah was cold to the touch and had no life in her.’ Mr Atkinson continued.

Ms Madarova said at the time: ‘She is not there anymore, I have done it, I have failed my daughter.

‘I can’t believe it came to this, my daughter is dead, what happened?

‘I took my daughter’s life, I took her life, she was the most beautiful thing.

‘My plan was to kill her and then kill myself.

‘I just felt like if she is here longer she was going to suffer.

‘I have done it, it’s not normal, I’m going to be all over the news. I deserve the death sentence.

‘It’s rare when a mother suffocates her own child, I’m a murderer at the end of the day.

‘I killed my child, I murdered my baby.

‘She had done nothing wrong, she’s only five, God take me instead.’

Madarova had drunk alcohol every day in the weeks before the killing, but was sober when she took her daughter’s life.

Asked if she had tried to get psychiatric treatment, Madarova said: ‘No, never, it’s my pride, it’s killing me and look what’s happened.’