Mother accused of son’s murder unable to attend court

A mother accused of the murder of her two-year-old son, Muhammad Hassan Khan last week was unable to attend a court hearing yesterday.

Since being held in prison on remand last Saturday, Hazel Waters, aged 46, of Ridge Hall, Ballybrack, has been transferred to the Central Mental Hospital. The case has been adjourned until November 5. She was charged at the weekend after the toddler was found dead with stab wounds in the bedroom at their Dublin apartment at about 2pm last Thursday.

Hassan’s acupuncturist father, Mohammed Saleem Khan, 61, laid his son to rest following a burial ceremony on Monday. During a short hearing on Saturday, Det Sgt Joe O’Hara had told Dublin district court Ms Waters made no reply when she was charged with murdering her son between October 15 and 16.

Due to the nature of the charge, a bail application can only be made in the High Court, and Ms Waters was remanded in custody to the Dóchas Centre, the women’s unit in Mountjoy Prison.

Her solicitor Padraig O’Donovan had told the judge presiding on Saturday his client had asked not to undergo a psychiatric assessment.

However, the prison authorities would be asked to carry out their own assessment, the court heard.

Yesterday, when the case was called the accused was not present, Detective Sergeant O’Hara said: “there is a certificate from the Central Mental Hospital in respect of Ms Waters”.

The judge noted there was no objection to the case being adjourned in her absence until November 5. Ms Waters has not yet entered a plea and book of evidence has to be prepared before she can be returned for trial.

At her first hearing on October 18, the court heard her income was a lone parent allowance. She had been granted free legal aid.