JOANNE HILL FROM CONNAH'S QUAY CONVICTED OF MURDERING DISABLED DAUGHTER NAOMI IN CHESTER

In September 2008, Joanne Hill, a 32-year-old resident of Connah's Quay in Flintshire, was found guilty of murdering her four-year-old daughter Naomi. Hill had previously admitted to drowning Naomi in the bath last year but denied the charge of murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The court sentenced Hill to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 15 years. Chester Crown Court heard that Hill had been overwhelmed by Naomi's mild cerebral palsy.

Naomi's father, Simon Hill, described his wife's actions as “evil.” During the two-week trial, the jury learned that Hill was a heavy drinker and was ashamed of Naomi’s condition, which required her to use callipers to walk. Judge Elgan Edwards stated there was no justification for Hill’s actions, emphasizing the case's aggravating factors like Naomi’s vulnerability and the betrayal of trust involved.

Judge Edwards remarked, “You killed your own daughter because you could not cope with her disability. You had other pressures upon you, a disintegrating marriage, and you decided to kill your own daughter by drowning her.” The judge further noted that due to her murder conviction, Hill would not be transferred to a secure unit but would go directly to prison. He also mentioned her prolonged mental health issues and expressed hope she would soon be transferred back to a hospital. The judge summed up, “This has been a very sad case. Sad for you, your husband, and for Naomi. There can be no excuse for what you did.”

On November 26, 2007, Hill collected Naomi from a childminder and took her home. The court heard how Hill prepared a bath with bubble bath, then left to pour herself a glass of wine. After the bath was filled, she placed Naomi in the water, holding her head under for up to 10 minutes, leading to her drowning. The post-mortem revealed Naomi died by drowning and showed facial haemorrhages indicating her head was forcibly held underwater against the bath surface.

Subsequently, Hill dressed Naomi, placed her in her car with a bottle of wine, and waited for her husband to return from work. She then drove around for eight hours before presenting herself and Naomi at the Countess of Chester Hospital, where she was shouting for help. The court was told that Hill's activities during those hours remain unclear, but police identified that she visited a petrol station around 11:30 PM, where CCTV footage showed her smiling and joking with the sales assistant.

Following her conviction, Simon Hill expressed his grief, saying, “Joanne is a non-swimmer with a fear of water. To be held under water is her biggest fear. What she did to my princess Naomi was evil. There’s not a minute that goes by without me wishing Naomi was still here. She was my constant companion, my best friend, my little princess.”

Hill’s mental health problems first appeared in her late teens, with her seeing a child psychiatrist in 1990 for anxiety and obsessive thoughts. In 2000, she attempted suicide and was prescribed medication for anxiety, depression, and insomnia. In January 2003, before Naomi’s birth, Hill was diagnosed with chronic anxiety and suffered severe post-natal depression shortly afterward.

A statement from North Wales NHS Trust announced that a full review would be conducted under the Flintshire Local Safeguarding Children’s Board. They emphasized that, “Until these formal processes have concluded, it would be inappropriate for the trust to make any detailed comment, and the trust is also bound by patient confidentiality.”

A spokesperson for the disability charity Scope, which advocates for people with cerebral palsy, expressed their “saddened and appalled” reaction, with Alice Maynard commenting, “Naomi’s death is a tragedy. However, this case highlights the broader issue of how many disabled parents lack sufficient support in raising children and how society continues to stigmatize disability, often creating shame around impairment. Tragically, in this instance, these factors culminated in a devastating outcome.”