Mother cleared of murdering her two babies

A MOTHER who claimed she was wrongly convicted of killing her two babies was freed after seven years in jail by the Court of Appeal in London yesterday.

Dressed in a black trouser suit and white, open-necked shirt, 31-year-old Donna Anthony, who was jailed for life in 1998, was released from the cells at London’s Royal Courts of Justice following her successful appeal against conviction.

Ms Anthony, who had been held at Bronzefield Jail in Ashford, west London, stood stony-faced by her solicitor, George Hawks, as he read a statement on her behalf from the steps outside.

He said that she was “still very overwhelmed” by yesterday’s events.

“As you can imagine, this is a day of very mixed emotions. Donna is, of course, very very much relieved that after nearly seven years of prison she is a free woman,” Mr Hawks said.

“She was condemned by theory based on suspicion which was masquerading as medical opinion, and it was completely wrong.

“Jordan and Michael’s deaths were unexplained at the time.”

He said that no compensation could right the wrongs suffered by Donna and other mothers like her. Ms Anthony, whose story has been bought by a newspaper, was bundled through the media to a waiting car. She had earlier wiped away tears while sitting in the dock of a packed court to hear three senior judges announce that her convictions could no longer be regarded as safe.

The prosecution had offered no opposition to the appeal brought by Ms Anthony, who was convicted at Bristol Crown Court of murdering her 11-month-old daughter, Jordan, in February 1996 and four-month-old son, Michael, in March 1997.

The case against her relied on evidence from a number of experts, including paediatrician Professor Roy Meadow, whose evidence in other cases has been discredited.

Ms Anthony, of Yeovil, Somerset, always claimed that both children were victims of cot death and not smothering as alleged by the prosecution, but her original appeal in June 2000 was dismissed.

Her case was one of 28 referred to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, which investigates possible miscarriages of justice, following the quashing of the conviction of Angela Cannings in January last year.

Ms Cannings was cleared on appeal of killing two of her sons, seven-week-old Jason and 18-week-old Matthew.