A 9-year-old daughter died and two siblings survived after the October 2025 incident in Islip, Oxfordshire.
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 Islip home in October 2025, an incident in which her 9-year-old daughter died and two other children survived.
The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, died at John Radcliffe Hospital on Nov. 20, 2025, about a month after she was found unresponsive at the family home. At an inquest held Sept. 1 at Oxford Coroner’s Court, Coroner Nicholas Graham concluded that her death was a suicide. The hearing examined events leading to the Oct. 21 incident, including court proceedings involving the children’s custody and living arrangements.
Thames Valley Police were called to a property in Middle Street in Islip at about 11:15 a.m. on Oct. 21 after receiving reports that three children had been assaulted. A 9-year-old girl was pronounced dead at the scene. A boy and another girl were taken to a hospital for treatment and were later discharged. The mother was also taken to a hospital in life-threatening condition and was placed under police watch.
The inquest heard that the two surviving children went to a neighbor for help. Written evidence from the neighbor described hearing loud banging at the door and finding the children outside in pajamas. The older child appeared deeply distressed. The neighbor then went to the family home, where the mother was still breathing but in poor condition and the 9-year-old girl was found inside. Emergency services were called.
Detective Sgt. Michael Neath told the inquest that the mother had led the children to believe they were going abroad on holiday. The court heard that she gave the children a false explanation for why she was injecting them. Investigators later examined the insulin and found evidence that it had been distributed in Malaysia. Three receipts showed purchases from pharmacies there during a one-week period in August 2025, according to evidence presented at the hearing.
Neath also described evidence that investigators viewed as showing preparations before the incident. The court heard that the woman had moved her vehicle the previous day and kept curtains drawn. Investigators also found an older child’s phone under a pillow after the mother had taken it away. Neath said those actions were intended to delay discovery of what had happened and prevent an alarm from being raised. The court heard that planning may have begun as early as August.
The woman’s general practitioner told the inquest that she had been diagnosed with mixed anxiety and depressive disorder. The doctor said the medical practice had not prescribed her insulin. The woman had spoken about concerns over where her children would live and how much contact she would have with them as court proceedings with her former husband continued, the hearing was told.
In September 2025, the woman reported increased stress and anxiety and disclosed suicidal thoughts for the first time, according to evidence from her doctor. The court heard that she did not indicate at the time that she intended to act on those thoughts. A psychotherapist who had provided therapeutic parenting guidance also submitted evidence describing discussions about the custody proceedings. The therapist said there had been no indication during their sessions that the woman planned to harm anyone.
The mother remained hospitalized after the October incident and died on Nov. 20. Graham found that her medical cause of death was a neuroglycopenic brain injury and recorded a conclusion of suicide. In reaching that finding, the coroner said the issue of access to her children was part of the circumstances surrounding her decision to deliberately end her life. The inquest’s conclusion concerned the mother’s death and did not itself determine criminal responsibility for the death of her daughter.
Thames Valley Police said after the mother died that its 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 previously described the case as highly sensitive and complex. The surviving children had been discharged from the hospital, and the family was being supported by specially trained officers. No more recent public police conclusion in the investigation into the girl’s death was identified as of Wednesday.