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Restored revision 1154554437 by 2A02:C7C:6468:C900:1D1:1DB3:ADF5:BA40 (talk): Restoring; current version has too many issues. We can't call her a "serial killer" unless reliable sources consistently call her that. "deceived" is also not how sources describe it
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{{Multiple issues|
{{tone|date=May 2023}}
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{{Short description|British serial killer (born 1968)}}
{{Short description|British serial killer (born 1968)}}
{{Infobox criminal
{{Infobox criminal
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| country = United Kingdom
| country = United Kingdom
| apprehended = 1995 (for two murders)
| apprehended = 1995 (for two murders)
| conviction_status = Released
| imprisoned = [[HM Prison Durham]] (since released)
}}
}}
'''Maxine Robinson''' (born 1968) is an [[English people|English]] [[serial killer]] who murdered her three children between 1989 and 1993.<ref name="Free Library article">{{cite news |last1=Clixby |first1=Hilary |title=Murdered by their mother. |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Murdered+by+their+mother.-a0115738698 |access-date=5 March 2023 |work=Newcastle Journal |date=23 April 2004}}</ref> After she was convicted of murdering two of the children in 1995, Robinson claimed innocence, saying the deaths were natural. She also attempted to appeal her convictions. However, in 2004, she confessed to the killings and further revealed that she had also murdered her first-born child in 1989, whose death had previously been considered a [[cot death]]. Having already served nine years Robinson was sentenced to a further three years imprisonment.
'''Maxine Robinson''' (born 1968) is an [[English people|English]] woman who murdered all three of her children between 1989 and 1993.<ref name="Free Library article">{{cite news |last1=Clixby |first1=Hilary |title=Murdered by their mother. |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Murdered+by+their+mother.-a0115738698 |access-date=5 March 2023 |work=Newcastle Journal |date=23 April 2004}}</ref> Convicted of murdering two of the children in 1995, Robinson unsuccessfully appealed her convictions, claiming their deaths had been natural. However, in 2004 she admitted killing them, and further revealed that in 1989 she had murdered her first-born child, whose death until then had been considered a [[cot death]].

⚫
Her initial conviction was, in part, based upon the evidence of controversial paediatrician [[Roy Meadow]], who had devised a statistical theory that said that more than one unexplained child death in a family was suspicious and more than two indicated murder.<ref name="Meadow" /> When Meadow's work was subsequently discredited, several convictions based upon his evidence were quashed, including those of [[Angela Cannings]], [[Trupti Patel]] and [[Sally Clark]]. Prior to Robinson's confession, there was some speculation{{by whom}} that Robinson's conviction could also be overturned<ref name="Meadow1">{{cite news |title=Minister orders review of 285 cot death 'murders' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/minister-orders-review-of-285-cot-death-murders-74477.html |access-date=30 April 2023 |work=The Independent |date=20 January 2004}}</ref><ref name="Meadow">{{cite news |title=Mother defies lawyers to admit killing baby |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/mother-defies-lawyers-to-admit-killing-baby-xv5rfqzm3tw |access-date=30 April 2023 |work=The Times |date=23 April 2004}}</ref><ref name="Meadow2" /><ref name="BMJ" /> Robinson's second trial judge subsequently commented that the case was a "timely" reminder that "not all mothers in prison for killing their children are the victims of miscarriages of justice."<ref name="BMJ" /><ref name="BBC18June2004" />


==Murders==
==Murders==
In 1989, Robinson's first child from her first marriage to Les Cope, whom she had married after a three-week romance, died suddenly aged nine-months-old at the family home in [[Pelton, County Durham|Pelton]], near [[Chester-le-Street]], [[County Durham]].<ref name="BBC22April2004">{{cite news |title=Mother admits killing third baby |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/3649249.stm |access-date=5 March 2023 |work=BBC News |date=22 April 2004}}</ref><ref name="BBC18June2004" /> The death of the child, named Victoria, was not considered suspicious at the time and was judged to be a [[cot death]].<ref name="BBC22April2004" /> In 1993 both her 19-month-old daughter Christine and five-month-old son Anthony, from her second marriage, also died suddenly.<ref name="BBC22April2004" /> Suspicion fell on her particularly because she had not used the resuscitation training on the children that she had received after her first child's death.<ref name="Free Library article" /> Robinson denied any wrongdoing and claimed the children also died of cot death, and some experts called at her trial agreed with her claims that the deaths were natural.<ref name="BBC22April2004" /><ref name="Guardian23April2004">{{cite news |last1=Carter |first1=Helen |title=Mother says she killed third child |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/apr/23/ukcrime.helencarter |access-date=5 March 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=23 April 2004}}</ref> However, a [[Home Office]] [[pathologist]] testified that the deaths were consistent with [[suffocation]] and Robinson was convicted of their murders at trial in 1995 after ten hours of jury deliberation and a narrow [[hung jury|majority verdict]].<ref name="Guardian23April2004" /><ref name="Free Library article" />
In 1989, Robinson's nine-month-old daughter Victoria died suddenly at the family home in [[Pelton, County Durham|Pelton]], near [[Chester-le-Street]], [[County Durham]].<ref name="BBC22April2004">{{cite news |title=Mother admits killing third baby |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/3649249.stm |access-date=5 March 2023 |work=BBC News |date=22 April 2004}}</ref><ref name="BBC18June2004">{{cite news |title=Three extra years for baby killer |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/3817741.stm |access-date=5 March 2023 |work=BBC News |date=18 June 2004}}</ref> The death was not considered suspicious at the time and was judged to be a [[cot death]].<ref name="BBC22April2004" /> In 1993 both her 19-month-old daughter Christine and five-month-old son Anthony also died suddenly.<ref name="BBC22April2004" /> Suspicion fell on Robinson because she had not used the resuscitation training that she had received after her Victoria's death.<ref name="Free Library article" /> Robinson denied any wrongdoing and claimed the children also suffered cot death, and experts called by the defense at her trial agreed with her claims that the deaths were natural.<ref name="BBC22April2004" /><ref name="Guardian23April2004">{{cite news |last1=Carter |first1=Helen |title=Mother says she killed third child |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/apr/23/ukcrime.helencarter |access-date=5 March 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=23 April 2004}}</ref> However, a [[Home Office]] [[pathologist]] testified that the deaths were consistent with [[suffocation]] and Robinson was convicted of their murders at trial in 1995 by a narrow majority verdict. Robinson appealed the verdict, but her conviction was upheld.<ref name="Guardian23April2004" /><ref name="Free Library article" />


⚫
==Confessions==
==False claim to be innocent==
Robinson continued to falsely claim her innocence from prison, but her conviction was upheld on appeal.<ref name="Guardian23April2004" /> Her protestations deceived a number of people into launching some high-profile public campaigns to free her.<ref name="Free Library article" /> This was in large part because her conviction had in part been based upon the expert testimony of controversial paediatrician [[Sir Roy Meadow]], who had devised a theory based on statistics that said that more than one unexplained child death in a family was suspicious, and more than two indicated murder had taken place.<ref name="Meadow1" /> Meadow's work was subsequently discredited and convictions in cases such as that of [[Angela Cannings]], [[Trupti Patel]] and [[Sally Clark]], all of which he had given evidence in, were duly quashed in high-profile circumstances.<ref name="Meadow1" /> This led to a belief that Robinson could also have been a victim of a [[miscarriage of justice]], but her subsequent confession would later refute this and prove that Meadow, in this case, had been correct.<ref name="Meadow1" /><ref name="Meadow" /><ref name="Meadow2">{{cite news |last1=Lister |first1=Sam |title=Confusion on sudden infant deaths |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/confusion-on-sudden-infant-deaths-v872tkq3cdk |access-date=20 April 2023 |work=The Sunday Times |date=23 April 2004}}</ref><ref name="BMJ">{{cite web |last1=Dyer |first1=Owen |title=Five cases of child murder to be reopened |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC411128/ |website=BMJ |access-date=30 April 2023}}</ref>


⚫
Robinson's conviction had in part been based upon the evidence of paediatrician [[Roy Meadow]], who had devised a statistical theory that said that more than one unexplained child death in a family was suspicious, and more than two indicated murder.<ref name="Meadow" /> Meadow's work was subsequently discredited and several convictions based upon his evidence were quashed, such as in the [[Angela Cannings]], [[Trupti Patel]] and [[Sally Clark]] cases. In January 2004, the [[Attorney General for England and Wales|Attorney General]] ordered Robinson's conviction, along with many others based on Meadow's evidence, to be reviewed as potentially [[unsafe verdict|unsafe]].<ref name="Meadow1">{{cite news |title=Minister orders review of 285 cot death 'murders' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/minister-orders-review-of-285-cot-death-murders-74477.html |access-date=30 April 2023 |work=The Independent |date=20 January 2004}}</ref><ref name="Meadow">{{cite news |title=Mother defies lawyers to admit killing baby |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/mother-defies-lawyers-to-admit-killing-baby-xv5rfqzm3tw |access-date=30 April 2023 |work=The Times |date=23 April 2004}}</ref><ref name="Meadow2">{{cite news |last1=Lister |first1=Sam |title=Confusion on sudden infant deaths |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/confusion-on-sudden-infant-deaths-v872tkq3cdk |access-date=20 April 2023 |work=The Sunday Times |date=23 April 2004}}</ref><ref name="BMJ">{{cite web |last1=Dyer |first1=Owen |title=Five cases of child murder to be reopened |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC411128/ |website=BMJ |access-date=30 April 2023}}</ref>
⚫
==Confessions==

Robinson would have become eligible for [[parole]] in 2005.<ref name="BBC18June2004">{{cite news |title=Three extra years for baby killer |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/3817741.stm |access-date=5 March 2023 |work=BBC News |date=18 June 2004}}</ref> While serving her prison term at [[HM Prison Durham]], Robinson told a prison 'listener' that she had killed her child from her first marriage, Victoria.<ref name="BBC22April2004" /> For the first time she also confessed that she did kill the two children in 1993, revealing that they had been smothered in their sleep.<ref name="BBC22April2004" /><ref name="Guardian23April2004" /><ref name="Free Library article"/> The police re-opened an investigation and she was trialled for Victoria's death in 2004.<ref name="BBC22April2004" /> Making national headlines, Robinson pled guilty to Victoria's 1989 death at the trial, saying she smothered the baby with a deflated balloon.<ref name="BBC18June2004" /><ref name="BBC22April2004" /><ref name="Guardian23April2004" /> She said she had killed Victoria as she had been unable to cope with her, was depressed at the time and was criticised by her mother.<ref name="BBC18June2004" /> There was considerable controversy when it was revealed that Robinson would be allowed to apply for parole in four years despite being convicted of a third murder.<ref name="NorthEch">{{cite news |title=Child killer could walk free in four years |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/6987094.child-killer-walk-free-four-years/ |access-date=5 March 2023 |work=The Northern Echo |date=18 June 2004}}</ref>
Before a review could occur, however, Robinson told a prison 'listener' at [[HM Prison Durham]] that she had killed all three of her children, revealing that they had been smothered in their sleep.<ref name="BBC22April2004" /><ref name="Guardian23April2004" /><ref name="Free Library article"/> She was charged with Victoria's murder in April 2004.<ref name="BBC22April2004" /> Although advised by her defence to plead guilty to [[Infanticide Act|infanticide]] with [[diminished responsibility]], Robinson instead pleaded guilty to murder, saying she had smothered the baby with a deflated balloon.<ref name="BBC18June2004" /><ref name="BBC22April2004" /><ref name="Guardian23April2004" /> She said she had killed Victoria as she had been unable to cope with her, was depressed at the time and was criticised by her mother.<ref name="BBC18June2004" />


Her confessions being made when several other convictions of mothers murdering their children were being quashed after the discrediting of Roy Meadow's evidence, such as in the [[Angela Cannings]], [[Trupti Patel]] and [[Sally Clark]] cases,<ref name="Meadow2" /><ref name="Meadow1" /><ref name="Meadow" /> Robinson's second trial judge said that the case was a "timely" reminder that "not all mothers in prison for killing their children are the victims of [[miscarriages of justice]]."<ref name="BBC18June2004" />
Robinson was already serving a [[Life imprisonment in England and Wales|life sentence]] for the murder of her two younger children when she pleaded guilty to murdering the oldest. The judge increased her minimum term by three years, remarking that the case was a "timely" reminder that "not all mothers in prison for killing their children are the victims of [[miscarriages of justice]]."<ref name="BBC18June2004" />


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 12:49, 27 May 2023

Maxine Robinson
Born1968 (age 55–56)
MotiveUnable to cope with her children
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment with a minimum tariff of 10 years (1995), three years imprisonment (2004)
Details
Victims3
Span of crimes
1989–1995
CountryUnited Kingdom
Date apprehended
1995 (for two murders)

Maxine Robinson (born 1968) is an English woman who murdered all three of her children between 1989 and 1993.[1] Convicted of murdering two of the children in 1995, Robinson unsuccessfully appealed her convictions, claiming their deaths had been natural. However, in 2004 she admitted killing them, and further revealed that in 1989 she had murdered her first-born child, whose death until then had been considered a cot death.

Murders

In 1989, Robinson's nine-month-old daughter Victoria died suddenly at the family home in Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham.[2][3] The death was not considered suspicious at the time and was judged to be a cot death.[2] In 1993 both her 19-month-old daughter Christine and five-month-old son Anthony also died suddenly.[2] Suspicion fell on Robinson because she had not used the resuscitation training that she had received after her Victoria's death.[1] Robinson denied any wrongdoing and claimed the children also suffered cot death, and experts called by the defense at her trial agreed with her claims that the deaths were natural.[2][4] However, a Home Office pathologist testified that the deaths were consistent with suffocation and Robinson was convicted of their murders at trial in 1995 by a narrow majority verdict. Robinson appealed the verdict, but her conviction was upheld.[4][1]

Confessions

Robinson's conviction had in part been based upon the evidence of paediatrician Roy Meadow, who had devised a statistical theory that said that more than one unexplained child death in a family was suspicious, and more than two indicated murder.[5] Meadow's work was subsequently discredited and several convictions based upon his evidence were quashed, such as in the Angela Cannings, Trupti Patel and Sally Clark cases. In January 2004, the Attorney General ordered Robinson's conviction, along with many others based on Meadow's evidence, to be reviewed as potentially unsafe.[6][5][7][8]

Before a review could occur, however, Robinson told a prison 'listener' at HM Prison Durham that she had killed all three of her children, revealing that they had been smothered in their sleep.[2][4][1] She was charged with Victoria's murder in April 2004.[2] Although advised by her defence to plead guilty to infanticide with diminished responsibility, Robinson instead pleaded guilty to murder, saying she had smothered the baby with a deflated balloon.[3][2][4] She said she had killed Victoria as she had been unable to cope with her, was depressed at the time and was criticised by her mother.[3]

Robinson was already serving a life sentence for the murder of her two younger children when she pleaded guilty to murdering the oldest. The judge increased her minimum term by three years, remarking that the case was a "timely" reminder that "not all mothers in prison for killing their children are the victims of miscarriages of justice."[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Clixby, Hilary (23 April 2004). "Murdered by their mother". Newcastle Journal. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Mother admits killing third baby". BBC News. 22 April 2004. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "Three extra years for baby killer". BBC News. 18 June 2004. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d Carter, Helen (23 April 2004). "Mother says she killed third child". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Mother defies lawyers to admit killing baby". The Times. 23 April 2004. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  6. ^ "Minister orders review of 285 cot death 'murders'". The Independent. 20 January 2004. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  7. ^ Lister, Sam (23 April 2004). "Confusion on sudden infant deaths". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  8. ^ Dyer, Owen. "Five cases of child murder to be reopened". BMJ. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
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