Her 9-year-old daughter died in the October 2025 incident in Islip, while a boy and another girl survived.
OXFORD, England — An Oxfordshire coroner has ruled that a 49-year-old mother died by suicide after an inquest heard she injected herself and her three children with insulin at their home in Islip, where her 9-year-old daughter died and two other children survived.
The ruling came at an inquest held Sept. 1 at Oxford Coroner’s Court into the mother’s death. Coroner Nicholas Graham concluded that she deliberately ended her life after the Oct. 21, 2025, incident. The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, died at John Radcliffe Hospital on Nov. 20. The inquest examined the circumstances surrounding her death but did not determine criminal responsibility for the death of her daughter.
Thames Valley Police were called to a home in Middle Street in Islip at about 11:15 a.m. on Oct. 21 after reports that three children had been assaulted. A 9-year-old girl was pronounced dead at the property. A boy and another girl were taken to a hospital for treatment and later discharged. The 49-year-old woman was also taken to a hospital in life-threatening condition and initially remained under police watch.
The inquest heard that the two surviving children left the house and went to a neighbor for help. Written evidence from the neighbor described the children arriving in pajamas, with the older child appearing deeply distressed. The neighbor went to the family home, found the woman in poor condition and called emergency services. The 9-year-old girl was also found inside the home.
Detective Sgt. Michael Neath told the hearing that the mother had led the children to believe they were going abroad on a holiday. When she began giving them injections, the court heard, she provided a false explanation that the injections were intended to prevent jet lag. Investigators determined that the insulin involved had been distributed in Malaysia. Receipts presented at the hearing showed that insulin had been bought from pharmacies there during a trip in August 2025.
Neath also described evidence that investigators believed showed preparations before the incident. The court heard that the woman had moved her vehicle the previous day and had kept curtains closed. Investigators also found that an older child’s phone had been taken away. Neath said those actions appeared intended to delay discovery and prevent an alarm from being raised. The hearing was told that investigators believed preparations may have begun as early as August.
The woman was involved in court proceedings with her former husband over the custody and residence of their children, according to evidence presented at the inquest. Her general practitioner said she had been diagnosed with mixed anxiety and depressive disorder and had not been prescribed insulin by the medical practice. The doctor told the hearing that she had expressed concerns about where the children would live and how much contact she would have with them.
The GP said the woman reported increased stress and anxiety in September 2025 and disclosed suicidal thoughts for the first time, but did not express an intention to act on them. A psychotherapist who had provided therapeutic parenting guidance also submitted evidence. The therapist said the woman had discussed difficulties connected to the court proceedings but had given no indication during their sessions that she planned to harm anyone.
The mother remained in the hospital after the October incident and died Nov. 20. Graham recorded her medical cause of death as a neuroglycopenic brain injury and concluded that her death was a suicide. In reaching that finding, the coroner said access to her children was a factor in the circumstances surrounding her decision to end her life. That conclusion addressed the mother’s death and did not establish a legal finding about responsibility for her daughter’s death.
Thames Valley Police said after the mother died that the investigation into the 9-year-old girl’s death was continuing and that officers were not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident. Police had earlier described the case as a highly sensitive and complex homicide investigation. No later public conclusion in the investigation into the girl’s death was identified in material reviewed through Sept. 3.
Author note: Last updated September 3, 2026.